Three Sisters
by Pyeknu
Summary: My second "Ranma becomes a Nendo-kata" fic...with two sisters, Ranko and Kikuko, to boot! Enjoy!!
1. Here's Ranma...Ranko...Kikuko!

Jusenkyou...  
  
The guide sighs, gently puffing his pipe. It had been a STRANGE couple of days to say the least of it! First, two foreign tourists had come to train here. Idiots! Didn't they understand the idea that "Cursed Springs" meant "CURSED SPRINGS?!!" The elder of the two wound up being punched into Shonmaoniichuan, then, not noticing that the springs' magic had turned him into a panda, he had sent his poor son into the Nyanniichuan. The younger visitor emerged, took note that he was now a she...  
  
...and then IT happened.  
  
The guide slowly exhales, looking at the three large, hollowed rocks sitting near the pools. The shock of the transformation had caused the poor boy...Ranma Saotome, that was his name...to lose control of himself. S/he would've drowned, had in fact taken a lung full of water...then...!  
  
The guide shudders. He thought he had seen it all working here...but nothing in his many years had prepared him for seeing an unmoving body, clearly devoid of the vibrant life inside, being LEVITATED out of Nyanniichuan. Then...the spring itself suddenly EVAPORATED as three large, hollow rocks settled down nearby, having come from out of NOWHERE.  
  
Both the guide and the elder Saotome, Genma, had cautiously approached the rocks, gazing inside...then they scrambled back on seeing the alien THINGS inside the large pool of salt water each rock contained. The guide had been tempted to run to the nearby Nyuchezuu village to summon aid...then he felt SOMETHING touch his mind. A voice, female, telling him it was alright. The souls of Ranma, Ranma's disembodied sister (what did THAT mean?!) and the poor girl who had drowned in Nyanniichuan 1500 years ago were all safe...and would emerge soon. All they had to do was wait a day.  
  
"Anything?"  
  
The guide looks as Genma walks up. The older martial artist had been restored to his normal form after his child died...WAS Ranma dead?...but had stayed to find out what the aliens had done with his poor boy's very soul. "No, Honoured Customer," the guide shakes his head. "Nothing yet. But...hear voice saying soon..."  
  
How does 'now' sound?!  
  
Both jolt...as the sound of something surging from water turns their attention to the strange hollowed rocks. A geyser of salt water bursts from one, framing a lithe form as she backflips to land neatly on the ground behind Genma. The two men spin around as the new arrival rises, stretching herself.  
  
"R-r-ranma...?" Genma stammers, unsure of WHAT to believe now.  
  
The woman sighs, then noticing the boiling kettle nearby, reaches out. Her sapphire eyes glow a dark reddish-purple shade as the kettle LEVITATES from the fire, sailing neatly into her hand. Her eyes continue to glow as water bursts from the kettle to splash over her, allowing her to wipe the reddish jello-like fluid off her body. Once she is clean, she places the kettle back, then seeing a towel, dries herself. "Whoo...that was weird!" she muses, then stares at a slack-jawed Genma. "Relax, Oyaji. It's me."  
  
Genma blinks, then blinks again. The Ranma that had emerged from Nyanniichuan was petite, large-breasted with hair a shade of red you'd only see painted on a fire engine. This Ranma, if it WAS Ranma, was the height of his old self, more well-proportioned, her hair a natural chestnut shade. "S-s-son...?"  
  
Ranma stares at him, then sighs. "I know. It's weird to me and I'M the one it happened to. Where're my clothes?"  
  
"Pack over there, Honoured Customer," the guide points.  
  
Ranma looks, then grins. "Thanks," she walks over, opening her pack and drawing out boxer shorts, T-shirts, three red tunics and three pairs of pants. "Better get some for the others..."  
  
"'Others'...?!" Genma blinks...  
  
...then both jolt as the sound that heralded Ranma's return to this world echoes from behind them. They spin around as two OTHER women, virtual twins to Ranma's new form, emerge from their rocks, landing by the kettle. "You two okay?" Ranma asks.  
  
One of the newcomers...to the guide's surprise, she had light green eyes...reaches for the kettle. "Yeah, we're fine," she smiles, splashing herself with water, then she hands the kettle to the third...that one had dark brown eyes...as they wash. "It's so nice to be out of your head finally, Nee-chan. To believe I never knew I was a separate person all this time."  
  
"The Unity works in strange ways, Onee-san," the third smiles as they proceed to dress. "For you, it was an imprisonment of sixteen years, since your old body died in Okaa-san's womb. For me, it's been fifteen centuries!"  
  
"Relax, Kikuko," Ranma smiles. "You're free now."  
  
"Hai," the third beams.  
  
Once dressed, they gaze on the other...then share a warm group hug. Genma and the guide are silent as the triplets share their moment of intimacy, then turn to face them. "You two clearly want an explanation for this," the green-eyed woman hums.  
  
"It...w-would help..." Genma stammers. "B-but...can you...?"  
  
"No, we can't," Ranma sighs. "Which means, Oyaji, that little seppuku pledge to Mom might become a problem," she icily smiles.  
  
Genma gags. "How did...?!"  
  
"Not to mention ALL the engagements you trapped Nee-chan into," the green-eyed girl adds. "Like Ukyou Kuonji?"  
  
Genma's shock turns to disbelief. "B-but...!"  
  
"What do you think Tendou-ojisan will say when we get back to Japan, Otou-san?" the brown-eyed girl fumes, glad all three of them mind-scanned their father to fully ascertain the situation as their new bodies were gestating. "It's going to be hard enough to make him accept Onee-san as a girl, but breaking such a promise because you were so lazy as to not barter for food? Honestly, Otou-san!"  
  
Genma shakes, his brain crashing from the overload...which really wouldn't be too far for someone like him...then the urge to flee hits. Before he could take three steps, SOMETHING grabs him, pulls him into the air, then he slams head-first into a rock! "Uh-uh, Oyaji!" Ranma snarls. "You ain't runnin' away THIS time!"  
  
Genma moans. "What...is...going on?" the guide then probes.  
  
The triplets stare at him, then smile. "Honoured Guide of Jusenkyou, we cannot thank you enough for your patience...and cannot apologize enough for forcing you to endure this," Ranma switches to well-accented Mandarin. "Permit us to introduce ourselves. I am Ranma Saotome, formerly son, now daughter, of Genma and Nodoka Saotome from Japan."  
  
"And I am Ranko Saotome, who would've been the daughter of Genma and Nodoka had my body not been stillborn in Mother's womb, thus forcing my soul to reside in my sister's subconscious mind until I was just freed by the magic of the Nyanniichuan and the intervention of my Wanderer-half," the green-eyed girl smiles.  
  
"And I am Kikuko Saotome, the reborn spirit of the woman who drowned in Nyanniichuan fifteen centuries ago, frozen in place by the magic of Jusenkyou until my Wanderer-half helped me be free," the brown-eyed girl finishes. "Our story is a very strange one as you can no doubt suspect, Honoured Guide. Will you hear it?"  
  
The guide blinks, then smiles, puffing his pipe. "It will be a story I will tell my grandchildren with great fondness, ladies! I wait with baited breath to hear more!!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net and Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
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WRITER'S NOTES:  
  
1) There've been many alternate Ranma stories appearing on the Net in the last while. Enjoying many of them (a nod to all you alt-fic writers out there), I decided to try my hand at writing my own alternate history. Atop that, I felt I had it inside me to write another "Ranma becomes a Nendo-kata" fic.  
  
2) This story begins at the very start of the series, diverging right from the point Ranma fell into the Nyanniichuan.  
  
3) Inspiration for various elements of this story include the series of "Ranma's Secret," "Ranma's Fiancees" and "A Matter of Romantic Chemistry" by the beautiful team of Jack Staik and Lady Tesser; "Confession" by the always-prolific Lord Archive; "Girl Days" by the ever-so-funny Robert Haynie; and the crossover "Honour and Love" by my favourite continuation/alt-fic writer, Kevin D. Hammel...not to mention the insanity Gregg Sharp called "The Bet!" A nod to them and all the other Ranma fic writers out there (too many to list here!) who've driven me to write this story.  
  
4) I realize that there are those of you out there who, due to my particular writing style (I always stay in present tense except when doing flashbacks) plus other bugbears which tend to crawl under people's skins (my concentrating on girl-girl relationships; hey, the Nendo-kata are an all-female race, remember?!), might find some offense reading parts of this story. Then again, as I just discovered concerning my BGC series "Illusions," no one has any SET opinions when it comes to ANY anime...especially something as multi-faceted, as diverse, as "Ranma 1/2." For those who would be bothered by what I do write, I only ask to give me a chance...and if you do find the material here bothersome, I can only apologize.  
  
**** **** ****  
  
PART ONE - HERE'S RANMA...RANKO...KIKUKO!  
  
Nerima, two months later...  
  
ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?!  
  
"Oyaji, it was the agreement, remember?!" Ranma sighs, then takes a deep breath as the light shower pours down on the district. "This is the thing you trained me ten years for! I'm annoyed as all hell about you making all those OTHER agreements along the way...not to mention you ripping me away from U-chan...but this one has precedence and since Tendou-san's got three daughters, we'll follow it through and see what happens! Okay?!"  
  
"IF he'll still allow it once we inform him of the other problems," Kikuko objects.  
  
TENDOU WON'T UNDERSTAND! the panda furiously signs. IF YOU THINK YOUR MOTHER WILL UNDERSTAND...?  
  
"They'll BOTH be made to understand, Tou-san!" Ranko sighs. "Will you PLEASE stop being so negative about this?!"  
  
Genma-panda exhales, following his daughters down the street toward the Tendou dojo. The last eight weeks hadn't been good for his blood pressure, much less his sanity! Ranma and the Wanderers who now saw themselves as Ranma's sisters had hijacked EVERY decision-making process influencing the training trip's outcome. While it assuaged his pride that Ranko and Kikuko were as versed in the Art as Ranma, not to mention well-motivated to learn more...and the fact that Ranma was FINALLY over his ailurophobia...the OTHER daunting problems Ranma's becoming a Nendo-kata would raise didn't do wonders for his confidence. Yes, his daughters could only mate with other women now, but would the chance come to explain it all properly to Souun, show the agreement really wasn't threatened?!  
  
Oh, he KNEW this was going to be a disaster!  
  
He just KNEW it!!  
  
Committing seppuku actually seemed NICE right now...  
  
"Otou-san, please try to relax," Kikuko smiles, reaching over to grasp the panda's paw. "You and Tendou-ojisan endured quite a lot with your former sensei. I'm sure your friendship, while it will suffer because of other matters, will see the day through."  
  
I WISH I HAD YOUR CONFIDENCE, KIKUKO.  
  
"Relax, Tou-san," Ranko sighs, then nudges Ranma with an elbow. "Ne, wouldn't it be neat if all three of them were of our...well, shall we say, persuasion?"  
  
"Yeah, it would be," Ranma nods. "But...jeez, Ko-chan, the chances of THAT happening are so slim...and it just ain't right to force them into it even if we fall in love with them, you know!"  
  
"True...hey, there it is!"  
  
The four stop, gazing on the traditional nobleman's home before them. "'Tendou Dojo...Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu.' This must be the place," Kikuko reads the dojo sign, then knocks.  
  
A moment later, the gate door opens to reveal a tall, brown-haired woman dressed demurely, an apron wrapped around her. Odd, the Saotome triplets muse. She didn't seem old enough to be Souun Tendou's wife Kimiko...yet why did she seem to be the mistress of the home? "Yes, can I help you?" she smiles on seeing the three young women with backpacks before her, then her eyes fall curiously on the large panda with backpack behind them.  
  
"Ah, gomen nasai, Tendou-hime," Kikuko beams. "Watakushi wa Saotome Kikuko desu (I am Kikuko Saotome). My sisters and our father are here to see Tendou-dono concerning a matter binding our two clans together. May we come in?"  
  
"I..." the older woman feels her cheeks flush. NO ONE had ever been THAT respectful to her, even Toofuu Ono!! Then the woman's family name comes back. "Oh, yes! Otou-san just informed us of the marriage arrangement," she smiles. "Atashi wa Tendou Kasumi desu, Saotome-san. Doozo (Come in)."  
  
One of her daughters, then. "Kikuko to iimasu kudasai (Call me Kikuko, please)," Kikuko smiles.  
  
"Hai. Kasumi to iimasu. Doozo," Kasumi nods.  
  
Mentally undressing her already, eh, Kiku-chan? Ranko psi-flashes her sister as they head in.  
  
ONEE-SAN!!!! Kikuko turns bright cherry, flashing her an "I'll get you for that later!" look.  
  
They step in, dropping off their packs and slipping off their shoes before heading into the sitting room. "A very beautiful home you have here, Kasumi-san," Kikuko smiles, looking around.  
  
"Arigatou, Kikuko-san," Kasumi beams. What a nice girl! "Otou-san, Nabiki, Akane, the Saotomes are here!"  
  
"Saotome, old friend!!" a hearty male voice echoes as a spry man in a green gi rises from the coffee table, racing over...then his eyes widen in shock on seeing the beast behind the Saotome sisters. "WHAT IS THAT?!?!?!" he points shakily at Genma-panda.  
  
Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko jerk, then exhale. Well, better now than later. "Gomen nasai, Tendou-dono," Kikuko bows. "There is an explanation for this, I assure you. Kasumi-san, may we trouble you with a glass of hot water? Not scalding, please?"  
  
Kasumi blinks, then smiles. "Certainly. Make yourselves at home, please," she waves them to the table.  
  
"Arigatou," Kikuko nods, then gently taking the stammering Souun's hand, escorts him into the sitting room. "Gomen nasai, minna-san," she gazes on the two young women already there. Hmm, both seemed quite nice, but if her empathic senses weren't lying to her, they clearly were not the type of person she would like being close friends with. "Please forgive us humble travellers for bringing disharmony on this honoured household."  
  
Nabiki and Akane are speechless. Three people, TRIPLETS save for the eyes...yet...something seemed ODD about them all...and that wasn't just because of the panda behind them. "Ah, it's...n-no problem at all, minna-san," Nabiki stammers. For the first time in a long while, she was unsure as to WHERE she could begin to make sense of a situation before her. "Make yourselves at home."  
  
The Saotomes relax, then brighten as Kasumi returns from the kitchen, a glass of steaming water in hand. "Here you are, Kikuko-san," she hands it to Kikuko.  
  
"Arigatou, Kasumi-san," Kikuko smiles, then gazes on the others, hopefully smiling. "Before I bring our father forth, may I ask you all if you believe in magic?"  
  
Souun, Nabiki and Akane blink. Kasumi remains calm. "Um, not really," Akane muses, confused as to why Kikuko was asking this.  
  
"Well, then I must apologize...because whatever worldview you may have had before now...is about to be badly shaken up," Kikuko sighs, then pours the water on the panda.  
  
"YYEEEK!!!!" Genma gasps as his voice returns. "That's a little too hot there, Kikuko!!"  
  
"Relax, Tou-san!" Ranko scolds. "You're tougher than that!"  
  
Souun's eyes bug out, then he beams. "Saotome-kun, there you are!!!" he laughs, embracing Genma. "Oh, it's been so long!! But...how on earth...what happened to the panda...?!"  
  
"Tou-san WAS...or if you wish to look at this metaphorically, IS...the panda you just saw," Ranko warns. "He is under a water temperature-slaved curse he acquired during our travels in China."  
  
Souun blinks, then sits back, staring at Genma. "'Curse?!' Old friend, what on Earth's happened to you?!"  
  
"It was a training accident, I'm afraid," Genma sighs, then stares forlornly at Ranma. "And with...great regret, Tendou-kun, I must now tell you...that Ranma...suffered a similar accident. But...due to a very profound complication...my son, now my daughter...was reborn into her present state...as a woman."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Y-you're Ranma...?" Souun turns on Ranma.  
  
"Hai," Ranma nods. "And yes, it's true. I was born a boy and would've been the one honour would have demanded who'd marry one of your children. But...in the incident that saw my father cursed, I too...was transformed into a woman..."  
  
"Something happened...along the way that...well, in essence locked her in female form...and effected a profound psychological change within Nee-san," Ranko adds. "Mentally AND physically, Nee-san is a woman...and will remain so until the day she dies."  
  
"That's...awful!" Akane gasps. She had no real reason to like boys whatsoever given recent events at school, but to have your very GENDER, one of the cornerstones of one's sense of identity, ripped away...?! The idea sends chills down the younger Tendou's back. The anger she had felt on hearing of the engagement not an hour before fades quickly as her mothering instincts take over, her sympathy for Ranma's plight erasing what resentment she might have had on encountering a BOY who was also a practitioner of the Art.  
  
"Ranma, I..."  
  
"Please. There's no need to apologize for something that wasn't your fault, miss..." Ranma smiles at her.  
  
"Oh, I'm Akane!"  
  
"Yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you)," Ranma nods.  
  
"Which means you must be Nabiki," Ranko gazes on Nabiki.  
  
"I am...and you have me at a disadvantage," Nabiki smiles.  
  
"Oh, sumimasen," Ranma flusters. "Permit us to introduce ourselves. Atashi wa Saotome Ranma desu," she points to herself, then indicates the members of her family. "My father, Genma, the current master of the Saotome School of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu. My sisters, Ranko and Kikuko. Yoroshiku."  
  
"Yoroshiku," the Tendou sisters reply.  
  
"Saotome, you never said you had daughters," Souun gazes on Genma. "Or are they like...?"  
  
"No, sir, they, unlike me, were born girls," Ranma cuts in.  
  
"Forgive us," Ranko adds. "Our story, put simply, is so wild, it...it's hard for us to explain it and hope for you to accept it. That's the reason we moved to show you Tou-san's curse right away. It hopefully will prepare you for what else we must now tell you."  
  
"It may be too much all at once, Ranko," Genma warns.  
  
"Tou-san, if we keep hiding things from them, they will have no reason whatsoever to trust us...rightfully so!" Ranko glares back. "How in the name of the Fates do you honestly expect we can reach a satisfactory agreement to unite the Saotome-ryuu and Tendou-ryuu unless they understand the whole story?"  
  
Silence, then Nabiki clears her throat. "I'd like to hear this," she muses. "Heck, after seeing what happened to you, Ji-san, I'd believe it if they told me they were born as aliens."  
  
The Saotome sisters gaze on her. "It is ironic that you just said that, Nabiki-san," Kikuko sighs. "For you see...one-half of our beings...are not native to this world."  
  
Pause. "What...?" Akane gasps.  
  
"It's true, Akane-san," Ranko nods. "All three of us are spiritual symbiotics. Two beings merged together to our deaths as one. Our human halves were born on Earth. Our alien halves were born on a planet fifteen billion light-years (don't ask me to put that into kilometres, PLEASE) away from here. Further...because our alien halves were all female...and given the nature of Nee-chan's curse...that is what froze Nee-chan as a woman."  
  
"Is this...reversible?" Souun stammers.  
  
"I'm afraid not, sir," Ranma shakes her head. "You see, my human half...was dying at the moment the parts of my soul merged as one. When I was cursed, I was so shocked by what happened to me, I slipped and sunk into the pool. I..." she shudders, then blinks as Akane places a hand on her shoulder. "Arigatou," she reaches up to squeeze Akane's hand in return. "Anyhow, I'd taken a lung-full of water and...was drowning. That's when it happened."  
  
"The alien race...whose members merged with my children...are motivated this way," Genma adds. "In essence, Tendou-kun, they're the ultimate Good Samaritans. When they sensed Ranma dying, they moved to save him. It was then...that they discovered the third little interesting part to our tale."  
  
"Meaning us," Ranko sighs, pointing to herself, then Kikuko. "You see, if you looked up the birth records, there is only one child to Genma and Nodoka Saotome: Ranma. However, if she had not been stillborn, Ranma would've had a twin sister. Me. Near as we could discover, my living spirit merged with Nee-chan's soul and remained with her until that day in Jusenkyou."  
  
"Ah, Jusenkyou!" Souun nods. "The Training Ground of the Cursed Springs. That explains things. Please, go on, Ranko-san."  
  
"Anyhow, if things had gone well that day, the soul of that lost twin sister...me, in other words...would've had the chance to express herself using Ranma's female form," Ranko smiles. "A sort of split personality, you might say. When my alien half sensed me inside Ranma's mind, she felt it wrong that I was bound that way to Ranma...thus freed me, gestating a new body to call my own."  
  
"Wow!" Nabiki whistles.  
  
"Then where do you come from, Kikuko-san?" Kasumi wonders.  
  
"As for myself, I am the spirit of the woman who drowned in the 'Nyanniichuan'...spring of drowned young woman...at Jusenkyou. My first life ended 1500 years ago...but because of the magic of the place, my spirit was trapped within the spring. Because I was in a disembodied state for so long, it came to the point where I forgot who I was, where I came from. My alien half thought, as did Ranko-neesan's, that it was wrong for me to be suspended between life and death, thus freed me...and atop my being allowed to live the rest of my life, I now have quite a family to call my own. As for how I'm able to fit into my family, I thank both my sisters; they allowed me to copy knowledge and experience (not to mention the ability to speak Japanese) during our transformation."  
  
Silence. "That is an...extraordinary story you just told us," Souun gasps, then stares at Genma. "This IS true, I hope?"  
  
"It is, old friend. I watched the whole thing happen," Genma shudders. "I don't know, anymore. Given what happened, I'm not sure as to what'll happen concerning our agreement...but Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko insisted we come here to help settle this in a manner by which we could all be satisfied. I..." he shrugs.  
  
Souun blinks surprisedly. "Genma-kun, old friend, this has changed you as much as it's changed your child! The Genma Saotome I knew of would've fled if something like this would've happened!"  
  
The Saotome daughters groan. "Yeah, we know," Ranma's eyes roll. "Running away was Oyaji's best trait for a VERY long time."  
  
"We are moving to cure him of it, though," Ranko smirks.  
  
"Excuse me, but I have a question," Nabiki cuts in. "Would you mind if I asked you WHAT race do your alien haves come from?"  
  
"You mean aliens've come to Earth?" Ranko blinks surprisedly.  
  
"If you heard of some events in Tomobiki some years ago, yeah, they have," Nabiki nods. "And there've been reports of some other aliens coming to different parts of Japan. I do recall reading from one website about a race that can alter shape..."  
  
"We're not metamorphs, Nabiki-san," Kikuko warns. "The Crossing Over is a once-in-a-lifetime power we can use."  
  
Nabiki blinks, her eyes widening. "I've heard that phrase before, too. Are you three...Nendo-kata by any chance?"  
  
Blink, blink. "You...know of us?!" Ranko gasps.  
  
"Yes, the reputation of your Great School has preceded you," Souun smiles, then pats Genma's shoulder. "My friend, you should be honoured! To have your daughters become Nendo-kata! Why, with their powers, they'll be the best martial artists of all time!!"  
  
"I...I..." Genma stammers.  
  
"Are there other of our sisters on Earth now?" Kikuko probes.  
  
"I don't know, but I think one of your extended families lives in Japan, just north of here," Nabiki muses, shrugging. "They're mentioned in the news from time to time; the school leader's the older sister of Ataru Moroboshi."  
  
"He's the guy who wound up marrying that Oni girl and became the king of another planet!" Akane nods understandingly. "Some girls at school have friends at Tomobiki High who mention him from time to time. Rumour has it some of the teachers are hoping he'd come teach there. A lot of aliens go there these days."  
  
The Saotome sisters exchange looks. "That must have been the Outland school that came here," Ranma hums.  
  
"Probably. We should contact them and tell them we're here," Ranko slowly breathes out.  
  
"Not to mention find some way to be better accepted by the authorities," Kikuko adds.  
  
"Hai, that's true," Ranko nods. "We'll worry about that in a bit, 'Kuko. First priority is getting in contact with Kaa-san."  
  
Genma jerks. "Do you WANT to do that?!"  
  
"Well, it's not our fault that you signed that stupid pledge in the first place, Oyaji!" Ranma snarls.  
  
"What pledge?" Akane blinks.  
  
"Tou-san has an overdeveloped sense of the dramatic, I'm afraid, Akane-san," Ranko sighs. "When he took Nee-san on the training trip ten years ago, he signed a pledge to Kaa-san that Nee-san'd come back a 'man above men'...or else..."  
  
"Both Oyaji and I'd have to commit seppuku," Ranma finishes.  
  
Silence. The Tendous are shocked speechless. "Saotome-san, how could you do such a thing?!!" Kasumi gapes.  
  
"Yeah, it's bad enough that you took your own son to this Jusenkyou place and nearly killed him!!!" Nabiki adds.  
  
"This is crazy!!!" Akane groans.  
  
"Minna, minna, please!" Ranma whistles.  
  
The Tendous gaze on her. "Look, this matter with Mom doesn't really involve you people at all," Ranma sighs. "I'm sure that if Mom's approached the right way, she'll accept what happened and we'll go on from there. There's no need to panic over it."  
  
"Ranma, for heaven's sake, this is your LIFE we're talking about here!" Akane snaps.  
  
Ranma stares at her. "Akane, it's alright. If Mom pushes the issue, I'll renounce my family. There's no problem at all. My Wanderer half was, save for Kikuko's Wanderer half, totally alone for five hundred years. I'm used to it!"  
  
"No!!!" Akane insists, then rises. "C'mon, let's go to the dojo and talk this over! Please?!"  
  
"I..." Ranma blinks, staring at her, then nods. "Sure."  
  
They leave. "Kasumi, is it me or did you get the feeling that someone swapped our sister with a total stranger?" Nabiki hums.  
  
"I'm sure Akane-chan and Ranma-chan will help resolve this in a peaceful manner, Nabiki-chan," Kasumi smiles...  
  
* * *  
  
"It's beautiful...though I can tell it's been hardly used."  
  
"Hai, it is," Akane sighs, looking around the dojo. "Ever since Kaa-san died, I'm the only person Tou-san has trained here. He...lost a lot of his passion for the Art when she left us."  
  
"I grieve for you," Ranma smiles, then bowing to the shrine at the head of the dojo, sits herself down. Akane relaxes in front of her. "I barely remember my mother. When we left Jusenkyou, all I wanted to do was see her again, tell her I was alright. That's when I found out about the seppuku pledge."  
  
Akane shudders. "I can't believe your mother would actually force you to go through with that."  
  
"I don't know, to be honest with you. Oyaji believes it, though. From what I've sensed of him, Mom's got a pretty strict viewpoint of what's 'manly.'" Ranma exhales slowly. "As does Oyaji, too. Deep down, I can sense part of him wanting to forget I ever existed. That's not just because of Mom. He..." A pause. "He's a very old-fashioned male chauvinist, Akane. Oyaji always pressed into me the virtues (if you can call them that) of being 'manly.' Now that I reflect on it...and that I've undergone the Crossing Over...I realize how wrong in certain places he was."  
  
"What do you mean?" Akane hums.  
  
"Well...say I came here as I might've been. A boy, cursed to become a girl. That ALONE would've been a hard blow to my pride. Believe me, Akane, pride's one of my biggest problems. Then you tack on the whole engagement idea to that. Your father told you just this morning, right? My dad likes pulling 'surprises' like that on me, too. Chances are, all I would've cared for was to find a way to ditch the curse...and he would've insisted that the whole arrangement with your family be settled FIRST, then worry about the curse. How would you've liked that?"  
  
Akane shudders. "Not a lot. I...don't really care too much for boys my age these days, Ranma. It's got a lot to do with what goes on at my school...but I suppose..."  
  
"Pride's something you gotta deal with, too?"  
  
"Hai," Akane nods, feeling her cheeks redden.  
  
"How long've you trained in the Art?"  
  
"Seriously? About four years. You?"  
  
"Since I was old enough to walk," Ranma sighs. "And given how emotional I sense your father is, your idea of 'seriously' may be different from mine. Simply, EVERYTHING in my life up to Jusenkyou was martial arts. I don't KNOW anything else, though I'm moving to correct that. It's hard, even after the Crossing Over. I..." A pause, then she smiles. "I need help. Ko-chan and Kiku-chan are better off than I am. Ko-chan, since she was linked to me through my subconscious, absorbed the lessons of life I had beaten out of my conscious mind by Oyaji. Kiku-chan still remembers a lot of her first life. I'm way behind them on that point...and I know Oyaji loves the Art enough that he'll insist I concentrate on that more."  
  
Akane hums. She wasn't angry at the boy-turned-part-alien girl before her. Ranma's situation was...unique to say the least of it. She didn't know anything about the Nendo-kata and their ways, but clearly, an honest approach to others was holy writ among Ranma's people. Atop that, Ranma didn't seek to overwhelm Akane, not like other boys. An image of Tatewaki Kunou flashes in her mind, sending an icy shiver down her spine. Ugh, she didn't need a SECOND version of Kunou, which Ranma clearly was becoming before that fateful day, barge into her life. No thank you!!  
  
"How can I help?" she smiles.  
  
"Domo, Akane," Ranma nods. "First of all, there's a primary attribute about the Great School you HAVE to know. Oyaji knows this, so I suspect it won't be long before your dad finds out. I can sense from them both that they WANT the schools...and by extension, our families...to be joined."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Promise you won't get angry?"  
  
"I..." Akane falters, then sighs. "I'll try."  
  
"Okay," Ranma nods. "Akane, all Nendo-kata, be they in their birth form or Crossed Over...can only mate...with other females. We cannot, under ANY circumstances, mate with males."  
  
Silence. Akane stares at Ranma, blinking surprisedly. She had a good idea about sex and how it ended with children. That in a way contributed to her profound distaste for the Horde o'Hentais she dealt with every morning. But to believe that even as a human being, Ranma was trapped into mating only with girls...?  
  
"I...if I can ask...how is it...?"  
  
"We mate?" Ranma smirks. "Believe me, it freaked my human half out when he found out about this before we merged. Akane, the Great School has been an all-female race for the last hundred thousand years. We have babies through parthenogenesis aided by our telekinetic powers. Because we've done it for so long, even when we Cross Over, that...unique factor in our DNA remains with us and we pass it on to our offspring. And yes, it psychologically affects us...although since we're a mono-gender race, we see no reason to put titles on it or discriminate others who don't feel as we do. By your terms, Ranko, Kikuko and I are lesbians."  
  
"I see..." Akane hums, then sighs. "Yeah, you're right. If Tou-san finds out about this, the engagement's on no matter what. My father can be pretty pig-headed about some things, too."  
  
"Sumimasen..."  
  
Akane smirks. "As you say, don't apologize for something you can't change," she holds up a finger, then breathes out. "We have quite a problem on our hands. I...I must admit that I like you a lot, Ranma. You're...different than ANYONE I've ever met. I also value your honesty. I can guess this is really hard for you."  
  
"It's becoming easier as time passes, admittedly," Ranma hums. "Fortunately, after Jusenkyou, we bumped into a village of Chinese Amazons...the Nyu-che-zuu as they call themselves...who, when we earned their trust, helped us, especially me. It..." she sighs.  
  
"Did something happen?"  
  
"No, but I sense that our parting wasn't on the best of terms with some of their leaders. The Nyu-che-zuu hold no allegiances to the People's Republic whatsoever; because of that and some local problems, they're constantly on guard when it comes to outsiders. Our...powers so impressed their leaders that they would've done ANYTHING to get us inducted into their tribe. But because they're not as unified as we'd've liked, my sisters and I feared that our continued presence there would've caused a civil war. That, Akane, is something we'd NEVER see happen. Once we convinced one of the more respected elders to our viewpoint...and she was able to convince their Matriarch of what we believed...we left."  
  
"Soo ka. This seems to be a theme amongst you people. Doing your best to maintain peace wherever you go."  
  
"That is our life, Akane," Ranma sighs, then repeats a lament all the Great School took to heart. "I am a Nendo-kata, born of the Mother Ocean, sworn defender of the Unity. Because I am now a Wanderer, orphaned from the school of my birth, I'll do all within my power to help those I adopt as my family better understand the idea of Unity WITHOUT forcing them into my ways. To do that is so repulsive to me, it makes me physically ill. I'll kill in Unity's name, Akane...my Wanderer-half HAS killed, by the way...but I will not, in any way, instigate a massacre."  
  
"You're a warrior nun, in other words?" Akane hums.  
  
"Well, not a nun. I can mate when I find the right person," Ranma wistfully smiles. "And...I must admit...that I think I may have found that right person."  
  
Akane blinks, then her face flames. "M-m-m-ME?!?!"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"I...ah...ha-ha...oh, gods, this can't be happening...!" Akane flusters...then stops on seeing panic in Ranma's eyes. She takes a breath, coughing to calm herself. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I...you're trying to be honest...but I have to admit, you're also a little..."  
  
"You feel overwhelmed, don't you?" Ranma hums.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"For that, I'M sorry, Akane," Ranma smiles. "I believe in the truth. You would've found my human half blatantly honest about everything he encountered. He...since he was isolated for so long, with just Oyaji as company, he never developed the social skills other people take for granted. As that...affects me, it means that when I'm thinking of my Nendo-kata past, I depend on the skills I learned as a Nendo-kata...some of which, unfortunately, are alien to someone like you. As I develop my social skills here, better adjust to life in civilization, that situation'll improve."  
  
"He never was with people?" Akane shudders.  
  
"Hai. There were two people I could've called friends. One of them is a girl name Ukyou Kuonji. U-chan. There...will be a lot of problems now if I met U-chan again, but I...and Oyaji, who was the author of those problems...will do everything to resolve them without causing anyone else any grief. The other is a guy by the name of Ryouga Hibiki. He and I went to junior high school together. He...he's been a Wanderer all his life, Akane, due to a very bad problem with directions. Atop that, from what I recall of him, he tends to take EVERYTHING too seriously. We were rivals of sorts and we...didn't really part on the best of terms."  
  
"Soo ka," Akane sighs. "I admit, I've got some friends...but that's become less and less due to...one of my problems. The same one that has increased my distaste for boys my age, admittedly. I can see how...starved for friendship you must be."  
  
"Hai, I am."  
  
The youngest Tendou hums, then holds out her hand. "Hi, I'm Akane. Do you want to be friends?"  
  
Ranma smiles, then warmly grips her hand. "Definitely. I'm Ranma. Pleased to meetcha, Akane."  
  
* * *  
  
Two minutes later, Ranma and Akane step back into the sitting room. "Akane, you're not going to believe this!" a happily weeping Souun proclaims. "The engagement...!"  
  
"Will, for now, be between Ranma and myself!" Akane declares.  
  
Everyone save Ranko and Kikuko facefault! "Nani?!" Nabiki exclaims, eyes widening.  
  
"Ranma and I've discussed this matter," Akane sighs as they sit down. "I'm aware of how the Nendo-kata reproduce and how that affects Ranma and her sisters. FOR THE TIME BEING, we will, to preserve our families' honour, hold the engagement between us."  
  
Souun and Genma blink, then suddenly grin as it dawns on them that their dreams were now within a hair's breadth of coming true. "Ranma, you've done your family proud!!" the latter laughs, thumping the table. "Tendou-kun, we've done it!"  
  
"My little baby's getting married!!" Souun wails.  
  
Ranko and Kikuko are taken aback by the waterworks. "You don't think there could be a little of the Great School in Akane-san's family, Onee-san?" the latter hums.  
  
"Seems like it," the former smiles.  
  
"Hold everything, Oyaji!" Ranma shrills with her fingers to get their attention. "We said 'for the time being.'"  
  
Silence, the fathers staring wide-eyed at them. "Which sadly means you aren't off the hook," Akane stares at Nabiki and Kasumi.  
  
"Nor are either of you," Ranma repeats with Ranko and Kikuko.  
  
"We don't mind," Kikuko smiles.  
  
"Hey, WE do!!" Nabiki snaps.  
  
"Nabiki, let them explain," Kasumi moderates. "I'm sure Ranma and Akane-chan have discussed this, so let's hear their proposal."  
  
Nabiki shudders. Shit, wasn't she going to make ANY sense of this before it blew up in their faces?!  
  
"Arigatou, Nee-chan," Akane sighs, then gazes on her father. "You both should realize that having just met, it's leaping far to hope that we'd fall in love and marry without complications setting in. From what I know of her at this time, Ranma is a very likable person despite what's happened to her. I want her to be my friend before I think of her as my fiancee...though I...could see myself being her life-mate and seeing the agreement through."  
  
"But given that complications are GUARANTEED to set in given our situation...right, Oyaji?" Ranma glares at her father. "We want time to BE friends before we progress into a relationship. However, to satisfy family honour, for the time being, Akane and I will be 'engaged'...on the proviso that if it can't work out, other arrangements can be made. Does this satisfy both of you?"  
  
Souun and Genma blink, exchange looks, then the former clears his throat. "Before...we answer that, Ranma...may I ask what your feelings for Akane at this time are?"  
  
Ranma hums, then gazes on Akane. "She's physically very beautiful...perhaps the most beautiful woman I've ever met..."  
  
"Ranma!!!" Akane's cheeks flame.  
  
"...skilled in the Art given her restricted training (which I will endeavour to augment)...and...from what I've sensed of her empathically, has the soul of a real Defender."  
  
"'Defender?'" Kasumi hums.  
  
"Hai," Kikuko nods. "The defender of a family's home in your terms, Kasumi-san. Akane-san, from what I sense, is someone who'll always help those who can't help themselves. Her heart is that of one of the Great School, Kasumi-san. Your sister hasn't trained as long and as intently as Ranma-neesan, but given a chance, training and encouragement, she'll go very far in the Art."  
  
"I...a-arigatou, Kikuko," Akane flusters.  
  
"May I propose something?" Ranko muses.  
  
"What is it, Ranko?" Genma prompts.  
  
"Seeing as there are now three Saotome daughters and three Tendou daughters, I propose we partner up," Ranko gazes on Nabiki. "We have to agree now that Ranma and Akane have formed a rapport. I can sense that Kasumi and Kikuko are starting to form their own rapport. And personally, I must admit that from what I sense of you, Nabiki, I can certainly be friends with you if you'll let me. This way, if something doesn't turn out, other paths are available to allow us to resolve this to everyone's benefit."  
  
Nabiki smiles. "I'd like being friends with you, too, Ranko."  
  
"If it isn't too personal, may I ask how the money is made in this family?" Kikuko muses. "Otou-san and Ranma-neesan have had to practically scavenge, even steal, to survive on the road...and the idea of freeloading doesn't sit well with me."  
  
"You're our guests...!" Souun protests.  
  
"Tendou-dono, with all due respect, we're speaking of bringing four people into this house for an unspecified period of time," Kikuko gazes on him. "That automatically implies additional food, clothing and other expenses. We've no idea what the state of our family finances are...and given the matter with Okaa-san, we're not sure what could happen. The chances are there, if Okaa-san decides not to accept ANYTHING of what happened at Jusenkyou, that we may NEVER be able to turn to our own family again. It...isn't fair to any of you," she turns to the Tendou sisters, "...to have us come in here, impose ourselves on you like this, without doing something to ease the burden on you. Please, we insist on this."  
  
Nabiki blinks, then sighs. "Okay, look. There are things we can do to make this easier for all of us."  
  
"Nabiki..."  
  
"Dad, they're doing this to help us...and besides, we haven't had a paying student since Mom died!" Nabiki silences Souun with a glare, then stares at Ranko. "You want to help me on this?"  
  
"Definitely!" Ranko nods.  
  
"I can help Kasumi-san in the kitchen," Kikuko smiles.  
  
"That's kind of you, Kikuko-chan," Kasumi beams.  
  
"Don't leave us out of this," Ranma warns.  
  
"But what can we do?" Akane stares at her. "After all, you have no experience outside the martial arts and...honestly, I'm not too much better. Atop that, the school forbids us from having jobs during the term; we can only do that during the breaks."  
  
"We'll come up with something," Ranma assures her. "Look at this as a battle, Akane. The secret to a victory, no matter what type, in any battle is confidence. We have to BELIEVE we can make this a good situation for all. Can we do that?"  
  
Akane stares at her, then smiles. She definitely might like having Ranma as her new sensei. "Hai!"  
  
"Are we agreed, then?" Ranko hums.  
  
"Definitely!" Nabiki nods.  
  
Hands form a pile for luck. The Tendou sisters feel the empathic burst of warmth, friendship and unflagging support the Saotome sisters transmit, then smile. Breaking apart, the six women gaze on their fathers. "Does this satisfy both of you?"  
  
Souun and Genma look lost, then robotically nod. "I guess they're still thinking it over deep down," Ranko winks at Nabiki.  
  
Laughter fills the room...  
  
* * *  
  
Joketsuzoku...  
  
"What bothers you, child?"  
  
Shampoo blinks, then gazes on her great-grandmother. Cologne balances herself on her walking cane, gazing on the starry night over their home valley. "I'm just thinking of Ranko, Great-grandmother," a fond sigh escapes her.  
  
"You know why they had to leave," the elder warns.  
  
"Yes, I know...and that makes me love Ranko all the more for it," Shampoo smiles, then hums. "Hers is a heart as big as all the mountains in China combined. Why do I feel this longing for Ranko, Great-grandmother? I don't want to insult her because of how sympathetic I was at how she came into being..."  
  
"Love, Xian-pu, is an strange emotion to understand even at the best of times," Cologne hums. "Ranko's kind are driven by this urge to better the Universe around them...but not do so in a way that will cause more harm than good. It's a tightrope they walk, child...but one that they never shirk from. It...was a shock to all of us when we met them, learned of the Great School. To believe our Japanese friends of the Tiger-Spirit have kept their Nendo-kata relatives so secret from us."  
  
"It's a wise decision they made," Shampoo agrees. "I could see the drool on some of the elders' faces when Ranko and her sisters fought off those Musk raiders with just their minds. If we had that power within us, we'd have the commissars at our feet."  
  
"And by the basic tenets of Ranko's belief system, that is an unpardonable crime," Cologne finishes. "Thank the Goddess that Mi-su and the others agreed to it. I shudder to think if some of you young ones went after them to try to bring them back."  
  
"Scary. It's a pity some other arrangement couldn't be made to at least make them part of the tribe in spirit..."  
  
"You just want to see Ranko again, don't you?" Cologne laughs, gazing knowingly at Shampoo.  
  
"Great-grandmother, when you were my age, if you confronted someone THAT beautiful in heart and body, what would YOU do?!"  
  
More laughter. "Point taken," Cologne smirks, then blinks as she senses someone approach. "Ah, there you are..."  
  
"Eh?!" Shampoo turns as a black shape appears beside the elder. "Who...?" she tenses.  
  
"Apologies, clan sisters," the newly arrived woman bows her head. "Elder Kun-lon, my mistress passes her greetings to you."  
  
"How is Nagai-chan these days?"  
  
"My mistress is well, Elder," the Kuromoroboshi (Black Meteor Shower) ninja, servant of the leader of the Moroboshi-Hana "Tiger-Spirit" Clan, smiles. "She hopes you and the others here are well, too...and expresses her surprise and delight on hearing that more of the Great School have come to live amongst us."  
  
"Can those of the Great School among your clan help the three new Wanderers settle in more?" Cologne muses. "They did us a great favour with those idiot Musk and my...great-grandchild here..." she turns to Shampoo, "...has taken a fancy to one of them."  
  
"She has?" the ninja smiles. "Congratulations, Xian-pu. My mistress did anticipate something like that happening given the Nendo-kata's inherent empathy. Arrangements can be made to allow her to come stay with us for the time being, if you so desire."  
  
"Hibaa-chan...!" Shampoo gasps, grateful to Ranko that she could now speak fluent Japanese, though her mind now whirled at the idea of being so close to Ranko Saotome again.  
  
Cologne stares at her. "Do you love her?"  
  
Shampoo nods. "Yes!"  
  
"Then go get her. Don't worry too much about bringing her back here. Maybe in a generation or two, when some of the more dangerous Nendo-kata attributes are bred out, your descendants can come back here. Besides, given that the Saotome sisters could, if necessary, be adopted by Nagai-chan's clan, this could forge the blood-tie we've long sought with the Tora-seishin."  
  
Shampoo shudders, then sighs. If Ranko's Wanderer-half could live alone, wandering through the depths of space, for over three hundred years, Shampoo certainly could stand being separated from her family for a short while. AND this would give her a chance to better see the outside world, a chance Shampoo always dreamt of.  
  
"How soon do I have to be ready?" Shampoo smiles.  
  
"At your convenience, clan sister," the Kuromoroboshi nods.  
  
"Arigatou," Shampoo leans close to Cologne. "Please keep Mu-tzu here, Great-grandmother. If Ranko ever saw him again..."  
  
"I'll do my best," Cologne nods...  
  
* * *  
  
South-west of Tokyo...  
  
"Beautiful night, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, it is," the dark-haired woman hums, lying beside the rugged man in the orange tunic and dark pants. Their tents were set up nearby, a cooking fire's embers still glowing. "You sure you want to keep going on with this, Ryouga?"  
  
"I have to, Ukyou-san," he sighs. "Honour demands it. I know how much you care for Ranma...despite what his father did to you. I don't want to hurt you through him...but..." A deep breath. "After following him to that damned place..."  
  
"I hear you," she nods. "You've got questions and you need answers. I've got them and I definitely need answers if my future as 'Ukyou Kuonji' is to be kept safe. But...when I think of what Genma Saotome is like, given what my investigations've revealed, I can't help wondering how much Ran-chan really realizes how much damage he's going to answer for when it catches up to him. I..."  
  
Ryouga gazes sympathetically on Ukyou. "I envy you. You can find it within you now to forgive what happened years ago."  
  
"Yeah, that's true," Ukyou rises, taking a couple steps as she turns her eyes to the Moon. "I can't believe how much anger and hate drove me all these years, Ryouga. How much it consumed me just to find them, then destroy them. It..." she shudders, then relaxes as his hands gently squeeze her shoulders. "It could've been a disaster, Ryouga...and I care too much for Ran-chan to have that happen to him no matter what happened before."  
  
"But still..."  
  
"Yeah, I know," she closes her eyes. "I like you, Ryouga. I can almost say I love you. You're a pretty down-to-the-soil type. I respect people like you. Always have...in both my lives. But if anything ever did...become intense between us...know that nothing would come out of it." She places her hands on his. "You know, part of me is tempted to find two Wanderers and have you and Ran-chan Cross Over. Selfish of me to think that...but as I am now, I can never bear a child from you...nor Ran-chan."  
  
"You accept your nature...and you're helping me better accept my curse," Ryouga sighs. "I appreciate that, Ukyou-san."  
  
"Your curse..." Ukyou hums, then sighs. "I'm born of the water itself, Ryouga. It's the core of everything I believe in as a Nendo-kata. Looking on you and your curse...it's not a curse to me, Ryouga. To me, it's a great trial the Mother Ocean has given to you...and I think, deep down, you're strong enough to endure."  
  
"If someone doesn't eat me first," he wryly hums.  
  
"Avoiding that, friend, is part of the trial," she winks.  
  
Both laugh...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	2. School Daze

Morning...  
  
Kasumi smiles, stepping out of her bedroom as she proceeds to perform her morning ablutions. Yesterday had just been so...she had no words to describe what they had experienced. To have such a close encounter of the third kind (as Americans called it)...she though you had to reside in Tomobiki to get that chance.  
  
Now...  
  
Stepping downstairs, she slows down, an...oddness in the house's wa turning her attention to the door. Looking outside, she sees someone kneeling beside the koi pond. The dark red-brown hair tied in a flowing ponytail hinted at one of the Saotome sisters. What on EARTH was she doing standing outside NUDE (even though it was still before dawn), though her clothes...*She really should get something more than just boxers, track pants and button shirt,* Kasumi ruefully muses...lay beside her?  
  
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Kasumi-neesan."  
  
Kasumi smiles. "Ohayo, Kikuko-chan. What are you doing?"  
  
"Apologizing to the koi."  
  
The older Tendou blinks. "Eh?"  
  
"In a few minutes, Otou-san's going to wake up, wake Ranma-neesan up and they'll begin their morning exercises," Kikuko gazes on her, beckoning Kasumi with a hand. "Since it'll be out here, most likely, either of them...or both...will end up splashing in here. It's rude to disturb someone's home, so I'm warning the little ones here to be very careful from now on."  
  
Kasumi blinks, then walks out to kneel beside Kikuko, her eyes gazing at the pool. Sure enough, the carp had gathered around her immersed hand, brushing her skin with feelers and mouths. A glance to the youngest...yet in a way, oldest...of the Saotome sisters sends Kasumi's heart into her throat. She...had never seen glowing eyes before, especially not such a pretty burgundy shade.  
  
"Is the fact that I'm a Nendo-kata...disturbing you, Nee-san?" Kikuko turns to her, her eyes reverting to their normal brown.  
  
Kasumi gazes on her, then shakes her head. "Gomen nasai, Kikuko-chan. It's...hard to take in what you are."  
  
"Hai, I know. We had a choice. Keep it all secret and let you discover it a bit at a time...thus eroding trust and making things harder for us to be together...or let it out in the open all at once and give you the time to come to your own conclusions."  
  
"Arigatou, Kikuko-chan."  
  
"Dou itashimashite (You're welcome), Kasumi-neesan. There, that should do it for now," Kikuko sighs, then picks up her clothes to dress. "Do you want some help in the kitchen, Nee-san? From what I remember, I was a pretty good cook in the old days, but I need to get used to modern appliances."  
  
"Hai, doozo," Kasumi waves her into the kitchen...  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net and Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART TWO - SCHOOL DAZE  
  
An hour later...  
  
"You're starting to slow down, Oyaji."  
  
FORGIVE ME IF I DON'T HAVE YOUR REFLEXES! the panda ruefully signs, climbing out of the pond as Ranma wrings out her shirt on the porch. SPARRING WITH YOU'S GETTING NOWHERE THESE DAYS! A twirl of the sign. YOU SHOULD SPAR WITH YOUR SISTERS MORE!  
  
"Hai, I'll remember that. We're working on a schedule so we can keep up our training and help Akane train, too...and don't you DARE think of ducking out of training her, either!" Ranma wags a finger at her father, then slips on the shirt.  
  
"It's about time you put a shirt on, Ranma. I don't think Dad can take looking at you anymore."  
  
Ranma blinks confusedly, then turns to see a dazed Souun, a toothbrush stuck in his mouth, staring at her, toothpaste suds foaming at his lips. She then sighs, buttoning her shirt up. "Gomen, Tendou-san. Guess that's ANOTHER thing I gotta start worrying about now. Domo arigatou, Nabiki."  
  
"You're lucky I don't normally charge for helpful bits like that!" Nabiki smirks. "Where're Akane and Ranko?"  
  
"We're back!!" Akane calls out as she jogs through the door, Ranko behind her. "Is breakfast on?"  
  
"Hai, there's enough for everyone!" Kasumi calls from the kitchen as Kikuko steps out, pouring some hot water on Genma as he sits down at the table, Ranma following.  
  
Akane and Ranko step inside, racing up to get changed. Ranma picks up her chopsticks, then begins to down her food. Kasumi and Nabiki watch spellbound as the "older" (in relative terms) Saotome sister's eyes suddenly glow. Genma's chopsticks continuously jab at her plate, seemingly slamming into something not ten centimetres from her food. "Oyaji, will you cut it out, please?" Ranma sighs. "I like for ONCE to enjoy my breakfast without you trying to steal half of it! Kiku-chan cooked enough for you!!"  
  
"Girl, how can you keep learning the Art if you keep resorting to your telekinetic powers?!" Genma growls.  
  
An explosion of air and food morsels escapes Nabiki, then she spasms in a cough. "T-t-TELEKINESIS?!?!" she gapes at Ranma.  
  
"Hai," Ranma shrugs, then looks as Ranko and Akane come down. "Saved you some, sis. Ohayo, Akane."  
  
"Ohayo, Ranma, minna," Akane sits beside Nabiki as they begin, then she notices her fiancee's glowing eyes. "Daijobu?"  
  
Ranma thumbs Genma, who is STILL trying to jab through her telekinetic field to get at her food. Seeing this, Ranko nearly falls over laughing. Kasumi and Kikuko watch from the kitchen, both hiding their smirks. Souun, still somewhat dazed by Ranma's unintended exhibition, doesn't react. Finally, Nabiki sighs. "Alright, what sort of powers do you three have anyway?!"  
  
"Telepathy, telekinesis and empathy," Ranma returns to her food. "Our empathic powers serve as a sort of psychic 'early warning' system. In essence, we project out to learn who's okay and who's not. If we deem you okay, then that's all we do. If we perceive a potential threat, that's when we resort to a telepathic probe to *ensure* you're okay. Our eyes'll glow at that point," she points to her own eyes. "And be assured, we will keep whatever confidences we're forced to 'take.' Our telekinetic powers are our offensive abilities. Instead of resorting to physical violence at point-blank range, kill from a distance."  
  
"Wow...!" Nabiki hums. "You really come equipped to deal with a lot of things, don't you?"  
  
"On our homeworld, it was pretty hostile for a long time until we asserted ourselves as the dominant lifeform...pretty much like the way humans asserted themselves here," Ranko sighs. "We were restricted in a way because of the medium we lived in...one to three kilometres underwater doesn't allow us to develop a sense of fire's use...not to mention the lack of visual light at those depths...so our development was mental."  
  
"Wow!" Akane whistles. "Um...can I ask something?"  
  
"What's wrong, Akane?" Ranma stares at her.  
  
"Do you...see yourself as...?" Akane stammers.  
  
"Human, you mean?" Ranma muses, then shakes her head. "That isn't the way we look at things, Akane. It...well, right now, I look at you as a fellow sentient being, someone I've become friends with, have a spoken life-bond to and whom I'd like to know better. I don't care if you're a man or woman, I really don't care too much about age and gender preference isn't an issue with me, either." She reaches over to gently squeeze Akane's hand. "What matters to me is finding out who this wonderful sentient being named 'Akane Tendou' is...and I want to experience how her life will intersect with mine. Is that REALLY so hard to understand?"  
  
Silence. "No, it's not," Akane gives Ranma a friendly squeeze with her hand. "And yes, I'd like to get to better know another wonderful sentient being named 'Ranma Saotome.'"  
  
"There we go," Ranma nods. "In the meantime, you better get dressed and ready. You got school, remember?"  
  
"Hai, that's true. Thanks for the meal, Kasumi-neechan, Kikuko-san," Akane finishes up, then races upstairs.  
  
"There's the problem about their records...not to mention your own, Ranma," Nabiki warns. "Ranko and Kikuko have no records whatsoever and yours state that you're a boy..."  
  
"Then I guess we changed that just in time."  
  
Everyone spins around to see two gentlemen standing by the front porch, gazing in on the family scene before them. Both are in non-descript black suits, dark Ray-Bans over their eyes. One is a middle-aged Caucasian, the other a young African. "Oh, we have some guests!" Kasumi smiles. "Doozo, gentlemen."  
  
"Who are you?!" Genma demands.  
  
"Pardon us for interrupting...but we're of the United Nations' Special Committee on Alien Activities...the 'Men in Black' as we're better known," the older of the pair draws out his wallet to show his ID. "I'm Kay and this is my partner, Jay. Can we talk to you and your daughters...and your hosts...for a few minutes, please?"  
  
Everyone blinks...  
  
* * *  
  
"So you guys're responsible for helping aliens better settle down and have comfortable lives on Earth," Nabiki concludes.  
  
The Tendous and Saotomes sit across the coffee table from the two SCAA agents. "Exactly, Miss Tendou," Kay nods. "But these days, thanks to various treaties with other worlds, embassies are taking a lot of our case loads away. We concentrate these days on aliens from worlds who don't have treaties with us. Given the distance alone, we have no treaty with the Great School...but we're more than happy when members of that race do come to Earth."  
  
"Well, that solves some of our problems," Ranko breathes out.  
  
"How is it you found out about us so fast?" Ranma inquires.  
  
"Courtesy of an elder in the Nyu-che-zuu tribe of Joketsuzoku, China, you befriended sometime ago...Nyu Kun-lon," Kay smiles.  
  
"Arigatou, Hibaa-chan," Ranko whispers.  
  
Nabiki gazes quizzically at her. "Put simply, the Nyu-che-zuu are allies with, shall we say, the first family on Terran-alien interactions: the Moroboshi Clan," Kay continues. "Lady Nagaiwakai was quick to inform us about you, then we came down to locate you three, not to mention help you better fit in."  
  
"In what exact way did you help us?" Kikuko muses.  
  
"Well, for Ranma here, that was simple," Jay smiles. "All we had to do was alter the birth and family records your government has to state that he is now, unequivocally, a she."  
  
Genma jolts. "Um...does my wife know...?"  
  
"No, we didn't inform her...so I suggest you inform her right away, sir," Kay warns. "This is done very quietly, since given their abilities, the Nendo-kata could, inadvertently, raise a lot of fear and hysteria among certain groups of the population."  
  
"We don't try to...!" Kikuko gasps.  
  
"Miss Saotome, we know very well your philosophy of Unity and how that governs your relations with other races. The schools and Wanderers that preceded you have long indoctrinated us on the whole concept," Kay smiles. "But let's face it. Xenophobia, given the way Japan developed as a nation vis-a-vis her neighbours, has a much better chance of taking firm root here than say in America. Individuals...your hosts, for example...are kind and understanding given the honest way you approach them. People in general..."  
  
"Can be very cruel and bigoted," Nabiki finishes.  
  
"Exactly, Miss Tendou."  
  
"What of us, Kay-san?" Ranko wonders.  
  
"Well, for you two, we had to construct records from scratch which will allow you to attend high school with your sibling, not to mention fitting into society as a whole, without problems from local authorities," Kay smiles. "We've done it before so many times, we can do it blindfolded. When you arrive at Furinkan High School this morning, the staff will be able to call up your records and find everything to be as legitimate as anyone else's. If the teachers tried to press matters, I'm sure you have your own ways to deal with that. What problem could there be?"  
  
"That's very kind of you, sir," Kasumi smiles.  
  
"We try our best," Kay draws out three wallets. "Here you are...and for your Wanderer-halves, welcome to Earth."  
  
The Saotomes take them, then open them to see identification cards. The pictures were incredibly accurate, though none of them had sat still for photographs. "Wow, you really do go overboard," Ranma whistles, then notices another card...a bank ATM card from the Bank of Sendai...with her ID card. "Hey, what's this?"  
  
"That's courtesy of your sisters in Oshika...the Outland School," Jay smiles. "There's a good amount of money in each of your accounts, so you should be able to have a comfortable start. Oh, Mister Saotome, by the way, when it comes to monetary matters, your daughters ARE considered legal adults in Japan, so don't think of trying to embezzling from them," he then smiles at Genma.  
  
The Saotome patriarch sputters, everyone gazing at him. "How do you know all that?" Nabiki wonders.  
  
"I think you better have a talk with this fellow here," Jay smirks. "Oh, you'll also have contact numbers for all your sisters in Japan, so you really shouldn't be too lonely here."  
  
Silence as Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko exchange looks, then face the two SCAA agents. "We really don't know what to say," the former holds out her hand, "but we appreciate it none the less."  
  
"Just live your life to the laws you follow and you'll be fine," Kay gives Ranma a friendly squeeze...  
  
* * *  
  
Sometime later, the younger Tendou daughters and the three Saotome daughters race out of the dojo grounds, heading down the street towards Furinkan High School. Given their sudden arrival, the Saotomes have donned their normal sleeveless Mandarin shirts and black pants; Nabiki would arrange for uniforms today. "Lucky thing we all got up early!" Nabiki sighs, then notices the triplets on the fence beside them. "Um...what are you doing?!"  
  
"Oh, gomen!" Kikuko laughs. "This is balance practice Otou-san taught us. It's so much a habit..."  
  
"Here, Akane, c'mon up and give it a try!" Ranma reaches down.  
  
"Ranma, I can't run up there just wearing panties!" Akane protests. "What if some pervert looks up my skirt?!"  
  
"If he does, I'll drop a rock on the creep!" Ranma smiles. "C'mon, Akane, this is fun! Besides, it's good practice!!"  
  
"I..." Akane blinks, then nods, feeling Ranma's hand grasp hers as she is effortlessly boosted onto the slender wooden fence.  
  
"Don't look down, Akane," Ranma instructs. "I'll make sure you don't fall. Use your arms until you get your balance, then we'll practice at a faster pace, okay?"  
  
"Okay!" Akane nods.  
  
Nabiki stares at her sister. The look on Akane's face was a mix of excitement and trepidation. Clearly, Ranma's attitude and encouragement was keeping Akane's cauldron of anger cooled. *Where were you some years ago when Akane REALLY needed a friend, Ranma?* she muses, then senses Ranko's eyes locked on her. "N-nani...?"  
  
"Don't you want to get to school faster?" Ranko probes.  
  
"Eh?!" Nabiki blinks, then her eyes widen. "Oh, hell, I totally forgot...!" she stammers.  
  
Ranko leaps to the ground. "Here! Hang onto me and I'll get you there real fast! C'mon, Kiku-chan!!"  
  
"Hai! See you at school, Nee-chan!" Kikuko leaps to the ground...then with a mighty spring, both Nendo-kata are airborne, soaring off towards Furinkan High.  
  
Much to Nabiki's heart-dropping-out-of-her-chest fright! "YOU GOT ME?!?!?! RANKO, WHO'S GOT YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU...?!?!?!"  
  
Ranma and Akane watch them disappear. "You want to try that?" the former wonders. "It'll avoid those boys you told me about."  
  
"No, I need the workout, not to mention giving me the chance to practice this," the latter gazes at her. "I'll let you do it for me when I'm not in the mood for those creeps!"  
  
"Okay. Do you need any help?"  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"No problem. I'll watch you just in case. Something about them attacking you every morning's got me suspicious about something and I want to confirm it."  
  
"Confirm what?"  
  
"I'll tell you later. I have to see you fight these guys first. That sound okay?"  
  
"Okay!"  
  
The two carry on down the fence, Ranma encouraging her to leap over the breaks without slowing down. In a minute, the two are running, Akane barely feeling the hand on her shoulder telling her Ranma was right behind her. While it was somewhat...bothersome to have someone willing to be her protector, it...assured her, too. Besides, this WAS her first try at fence-walking, so it was good for her new sensei...*Funny that I'm thinking of her as that already,* Akane muses...to stay close. Besides, given the recent revelation of the Nendo-kata's abilities, it wouldn't surprise the youngest Tendou if Ranma was floating beside her. Then again, Ranma was doing this for Akane's benefit, to help AKANE improve. What a welcome change from the times she had to practically DRAG her father into the dojo to teach her anything about the Art.  
  
Behind her, Ranma smiles. Good. Not only was Akane getting the basic idea of fence-balancing, she was ENJOYING herself at the same time. One of the earliest things Ranma had to learn in both her lives was how to make herself enjoy learning something; that was a big incentive in and of itself. As long as Ranma could keep this up, Akane would improve by leaps and bounds. Her potential, fully exploited, would make her the equal of Ranma's human form. And if she got a transfusion of Nendo-kata blood into her to bring her DNA up to Ranma's present level...? *Mother Ocean, she'd be the best Defender the Great School has seen in ages!*  
  
"Yen for your thoughts?" Akane calls back.  
  
"Eh?!" Ranma blinks, then smiles. "Oh, gomen. I was just thinking about how much I can teach you."  
  
"It's a lot, huh?"  
  
A touch of sadness and...shame...inside her, Ranma muses. Take it very easy responding. "Akane, it's like I told you. I've got a decade's training on you...but believe me, you've got a lot of the fundamentals right. I'll give your father this; he really knows how to give you a strong foundation to build on. Once you have all the fundamentals down pat, the rest is easy."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"You're damn right I do."  
  
"Arigatou, Ranma."  
  
"Eh? Why...?"  
  
"For believing in me. Sometimes, I think even Tou-san doesn't believe in me. I really appreciate it."  
  
"Un," Ranma nods, then her eyes glow. "Uh-oh, trouble!"  
  
Akane blinks, then tenses herself as the gates of Furinkan High School loom before her. "Hang onto my bag!" she tosses it to Ranma, then leaps to the ground, picking up her speed.  
  
"Watch yourself," Ranma warns as she leaps to the fenceline around the school, then sits down to watch.  
  
The Horde o'Hentais are already on the move. "AKANE, DATE ME...!!!!" scream from a dozen lips as she barrels into them.  
  
Ranma sighs. A pack of scavenger lap-remora; that's what her first impression...and Ranko's and Kikuko's, she senses from her sisters, already inside school...of these fools is. First of all, the morons were mobbing Akane; there was no coordination in their attack whatsoever. Akane could resort solely to her strength to deal with most of them. Save for several kendoists in the back of the crowd, the chi levels were next to nil with all of them. The Hiryuu Shooten-ha (Rising Dragon Ascension) Cologne taught the Saotomes in Joketsuzoku wouldn't be the least bit effective with this lot. Worst of all, if this had been constant for some time, it was doing a damaging effect to Akane's skill level since she wasn't inspired to improve. Fortunately, it was repairable.  
  
As for things Nendo-kata considered important, it depressed Ranma. No sign of potential psionic powers in any of them; their self-awareness was typical for city folk of their age group. The empathic expression of their passion, if at that, to Akane was all physical. Typical for normal hormone-driven teenage men of their age group. There was no true heart behind this insanity. A grave insult...and potential danger if this was allowed to go on much further...to Akane's skills. That didn't mention how this whole mess could affect the many onlookers now crowding the windows...  
  
* * *  
  
"Ranko, is your sister okay?"  
  
"Eh?" Ranko blinks, then stares at Nabiki before shaking her head, leaning on the windowsill. She stood with the middle Tendou daughter in Nabiki's homeroom, intending to head to her homeroom in a moment. "No. Nee-chan is mad right now...but she'll respect Akane's desire to see it through. This whole farce is the biggest insult to ANYONE she's EVER seen...and she's got nine hun-..."  
  
Nabiki hisses her quiet. "Don't say that," she whispers. "Do you want people to know who you are? Remember what Kay said."  
  
"Urk! Sorry..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Her skill level's really good given the opposition."  
  
"Hai, Oyaji...but if this keeps up, it'll do her more harm than good in the long run," Ranma nods; Genma had shown up a few seconds ago, just as Akane began wading into the kendoists to wrap today's fight up. "There's one more to come. He's behind the tree off to my three o'clock. See him?"  
  
Genma looks. "Kendoist. Who is he?"  
  
"The love-starved moron who started this whole mess to destroy Akane's dignity. Tatewaki Kunou, the 'Shooting Star'...oh, excuse me, it's 'Blue Thunder' now; idiot can't keep his fighting nickname straight...of Furinkan's kendo team. Reasonably competent with a weapon, useless without it. Good wrap-up to today's exercise, but this HAS to end soon for Akane's sake, not to mention every other girl in the school. I'll talk to her about it later."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You better get home. The air's too misty; rain's coming."  
  
"Alright. See you tonight. Damn, that telepathy of yours really comes in handy, you know?"  
  
"There's hope for you yet, Tou-chan."  
  
Genma jerks, then chuckles as he heads off. Before Jusenkyou, Ranma NEVER called him anything more than "oyaji." Ranma only now called him "Tou-chan" when she sensed he was growing away from the bad habits Happousai had force-fed him years ago.  
  
Even though so many things were up in the air, it was nice to improve things with his son-turned-first daughter...  
  
* * *  
  
"Ah, Akane Tendou, come into my embrace..."  
  
*WHACK!!!!*  
  
The poetry-spouting kendoist is smashed into a tree, dropping to the ground! Akane sighs, then breathes out. "Every day..." she muses, though she had to admit, she found it easier to call on her strength to mop the floor with these idiots today. Had Ranma's encouragement done something to make her fight better...?  
  
"It'll have to end soon, you know," Ranma walks up to her, then hands over her briefcase. "Akane, can we talk about this a little later? There's something very wrong and I think this is going to hurt you really bad if it continues."  
  
Akane stares at her, sensing the flash of anger deep in her fiancee's eyes. Ranma WAS angry, though she was doing her darn best to keep it under wraps. What was going on? "Uhn! Let's get to class," Akane nods, waving for the front door as they head in.  
  
"Hold! Who is this...?"  
  
Ranma jerks as something leaps into her path, then without hesitation, lashes out, her mind snaring Kunou. With a wave of her hand...from the school, fortunately, it looked as if Ranma was sweeping Kunou aside physically...she sends the kendoist flying at the far wall. THAT was over thirty metres away! Akane pauses at the door to see Kunou now smashed into a wrecked section of stone wall, then gazes on Ranma. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Not really. C'mon, we're almost late!" Ranma waves her in...  
  
* * *  
  
"Class, may I present three new students...triplets as you can see...joining us today. Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko Saotome."  
  
"Yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you), minna-san," Ranko bows.  
  
"Yoroshiku," Ranma echoes.  
  
"Yoroshiku onegaishimashita, minna-san," Kikuko smiles.  
  
"Yoroshiku!" the class chime back.  
  
"Would you care to tell us about yourselves?" the teacher hums, gazing on the sisters. He had been told of their sudden arrival, plus lack of uniforms, by Akane after they got in, so he would allow their odd form of dress today.  
  
Ranma smiles. "My sisters and I just returned from a long training trip involving our family's school of martial arts. I am...well, quite limited in my non-scholastic knowledge to just the martial arts, but I am seeking to improve myself."  
  
"We're very pleased to be here," Ranko adds. "Our father sheltered myself and Kikuko-chan here while we were on our trip, so we are a little inexperienced when it comes to interacting with people. Please understand, we mean you no harm."  
  
"Unless you're wanting to pick a fight with us...then you'll see what harm we can dish out in return," Kikuko finishes. "My sisters and I hope our experience here at Furinkan will be as pleasant for all of you as it will be for us."  
  
The class is silent as they return to their seats, now on three sides around Akane (Kikuko behind, Ranko to Akane's left and Ranma to Akane's right). From what the Saotome sisters can sense of the forty people around them, none of them had been expecting such a jovial, friendly greeting. Many had seen Ranma's display towards Kunou and were curious as to why she had come in with Akane. Clearly, rumours would start and information would get distorted, leading to who knew WHAT conclusions before long.  
  
Spreading rumours, information corrupted by personal opinion and feelings, was something the Nendo-kata couldn't conceive of. Their telepathy had developed over the millennia to the point where information transfer within the Great School was eidetically accurate. While their human selves did understand...though, like most people, they didn't approve of...the idea that rumours would be spread about them, how to deal with it properly was a mystery...  
  
* * *  
  
"Nabiki Tendou, I would have words with you."  
  
Nabiki inwardly winces. If the bruises on Kunou's face were a result of a "mad" Ranma, she'd hate to see what might happen if the elder Saotome daughter was TRULY pissed off. Clearly, Ranko's warning that the whole thing with the Horde o'Hentais had to stop soon was very accurate...for Ranma's self-control most of all.  
  
"What's the matter, Kunou-chan? You don't look so good."  
  
"I am always at my best form, Nabiki Tendou. A question, if I may. Could you inform me who the tall chestnut-haired damsel who came with your beauteous sister is?"  
  
"You know the price, Kunou-chan. It doesn't come free."  
  
Five thousand yen are immediately handed over. Ranma must have made a whole different sort of impression on the kendoist than what she intended. Then again, that seemed the norm when it came to this idiot. "Okay, fair enough," Nabiki nods. "She's Ranma Saotome, a family friend. She and her family just came in from China yesterday. They're staying with us for the time being."  
  
"Then why was she with Akane?" Kunou presses.  
  
"They've become very good friends; you might say they really hit it off yesterday," Nabiki crosses her arms. "Oh, by the way, do you wish to know of the OTHER Saotome sisters?"  
  
Kunou stops. "'OTHER?!!' There are more of them?!!"  
  
"Pay up, my friend."  
  
Ten thousand yen this time. "Alright, there're three of them," Nabiki relaxes. This idiot was so gullible, it was almost criminal to do this. "Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko. All of them are Akane's classmates. Ranma is blue-eyed, Ranko's green-eyed and Kikuko's brown-eyed. But..." she sighs.  
  
"What?" Kunou urges.  
  
"From what I hear, they're all lesbians."  
  
Silence. Kunou remains gaping at Nabiki, whatever serving as his brain sputtering to a halt as that word echoes again and again. "L-l-l...!" he then stammers.  
  
"Lesbians, Kunou-baby," Nabiki smiles, wondering what sort of fun this was going to cause. "It's not a disease, by the way; they were BORN that way. No sorcery..."  
  
"NO, IT IS SORCERY!!!!" Kunou suddenly bellows, an explosion framing him. "To believe that such a fiery belle as Ranma Saotome to...actually...to be a..." he sputters on that...that WORD, then raises his bokan stick high. "NEVER!!!! I, Tatewaki Kunou, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, will NEVER tolerate such a crime against three such divine flowers of womanhood...!!!"  
  
Nabiki feels her mind already click out, nausea surging deep within her. Around her, a chorus of questions begins.  
  
"'Blue Thunder?!'"  
  
"I thought it was 'Shooting Star!'"  
  
"Did you see that girl? She makes Akane look plain!"  
  
"Lucky thing they're not interested in boys! It's bad enough Akane always hogs them all!"  
  
"Do you think they might...?"  
  
"Iie. Given the way society treats girls like that, they'll never bother anyone else unless they find one like them..."  
  
Nabiki sighs. Let the good times roll...  
  
* * *  
  
A note lands on Akane's desk from Ranko...  
  
"Akane-chan,  
"I think just I've figured out Nabiki-chan. Among our kind, we call them 'trickster-sharks.' Not as bad as 'devil-sharks' (our version of oni), but sometimes as much a pain in the ass. We don't mind it too much; it'll make things a little more exciting around here and it'll be good for our keeping our power skills honed.  
"She's just told Kunou-bakayaro that we're staying with you and that we're lesbians. I've no idea how this is going to reflect on you. You know how rumours can be.  
"Just to let you know.  
"Ranko"  
  
Akane blinks, then nods at Ranko before returning back to her textbook. A hum then escapes her as she stares on Ranma. The older Saotome was paying close attention to the teacher, though she had confessed during the break that some of this was boring. All just another reflection of Ranma's long concentration on the Art and how it had socially and emotionally crippled her.  
  
Rumours, eh...?  
  
With that, she turns Ranko's note over, then scribbles something down before passing it to Ranma. Ranma blinks, then opens it before her eyes widen:  
  
"Ranma,  
"Do you want to make an announcement about our engagement?  
"Akane"  
  
Ranma blinks, then nods at Akane, winking. With that, they turn back to their books. Inwardly, Akane smiles. That should knock the wind out of Kunou's sails, not to mention get the Horde o'Hentais off her back once and for all...  
  
* * *  
  
Lunchtime...  
  
"I nearly fell asleep in a couple classes."  
  
"Relax, Nee-chan, it all comes with time," Ranko pats Ranma's shoulder as they and Kikuko sit down at one table, far away from other students so that they could converse in private. "To be honest with you, I feel wonderful, being able to interact with people on my own. You know, the folks here aren't so bad."  
  
"Hai, I noticed that," Kikuko nods. "Even the boys fighting Akane, once you strip that nonsense away, aren't really so bad."  
  
"Still, it has to stop," Ranma shudders. "It's a creeping conquest, that's what it is."  
  
"'Creeping conquest?'"  
  
The Saotomes beam as Akane sits beside Ranma. "Hai. We were just talking about those idiots you fight every morning. Like it or not, they're going to wear you down until someone beats you; most likely, Kunou or one of his fellow kendoists."  
  
"How did you come to that conclusion?" Akane asks.  
  
"Akane, when you're confronting a mob situation like that, you only rely on a few moves," Ranma advises. "Because of that, you don't practice the more advanced ones...and over time, the skills become so rusty that you'll lose them altogether. That's what I mean by 'creeping conquest.' They know you're skilled, so they're trying to take your skill away from you and force you to brawl at their level. If that happens, you're sunk."  
  
Akane blinks, then shudders. "Damn..."  
  
"There's more, Akane-san," Kikuko sighs. "And if you think what those boys are doing to you is insulting, wait until you hear what I discovered about Kunou!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"He holds back from using his whole skill on you, Akane-san."  
  
Silence. Akane blinks as her hands clench, chi boiling around her as the words "holds back" echo through her mind. "He...!" she snarls, her brow furrowing in rage. "He...does...WHAT, Kikuko?!!"  
  
"He holds back, Akane-san...though deep down, even if he went full out and fought you honourably, he still wouldn't beat you..."  
  
"I DON'T CARE!!!!" Akane bolts to her feet, slamming her hand on the table. "HOW DARE THAT SELF-CONCEITED BASTARD DO THIS TO ME?!?! KUNOU, GET READY TO PAY FOR MAKING MY LIFE HELL!!!!!!"  
  
She races off. The Saotomes watch her go. "Doesn't that remind you of Ryouga in a way?" Ranko hums.  
  
"Strange, it does," Ranma turns back to her food.  
  
"What was THAT about?"  
  
Everyone waves Nabiki to a chair as Kikuko explains what she discovered. The middle Tendou daughter winces, knowing well that to Akane, it WAS the supreme insult to not take her seriously, especially in matters of martial arts. The Saotomes did, thus winning Akane's friendship and trust. If Kunou didn't, there was no way in all of Eternity that Akane would EVER respect him, much less trust a single thing he said, again! "You did it to yourself, Kunou-chan," she snorts. "Nice going..."  
  
"Nabiki, there's a little something I want to bounce off you concerning Akane's morning problems," Ranma sighs.  
  
"Going public with the agreement, you mean?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
Nabiki sighs. "I dunno, to be honest with you..."  
  
"It could be lucrative if you manage it right, Nabiki," Ranko smiles knowingly, stirring her pudding with a spoon. "I know you enough now to know you love doing two things beyond caring for your family: making money and mischief. Here's a chance to do both."  
  
"Atop that, it'll be a slap in the face to Kunou for his appalling disrespect of Akane-san...not to mention the way some people will view other female martial artists who might come here in the future," Kikuko adds. "Do you REALLY want that sort of nonsense to become a tradition at this school, Nabiki-san?"  
  
Nabiki hums, then shakes her head. "No, not really. Okay, let's do it...but I hope you're both prepared for the flack that's going to follow. Kunou-chan really freaked out when I told him of your gender preference. He's now convinced sorcery's involved and he's going to do his best to 'free' you..."  
  
The Saotomes laugh. "Well, even though fantasy dominates his life, we can't dismiss good intentions," Ranko hums. "At the same time, it could be fun..."  
  
"You mean give credence to what he believes?" Ranma blinks.  
  
"Controlled, of course," Ranko advises. "My school sage told me this once. A fantasy world can sometimes be like a tunnel. It has an entrance and an exit. You keep forcing fantasy on people, it'll force them out of the tunnel."  
  
"What happens if doing that drives them to suicide, Ranko?" Nabiki warns. "Look, the guy's an idiot, but c'mon, he doesn't deserve that! It could kill him eventually..."  
  
Silence. "Nabiki...there's something I don't think you've come to accept about us," Ranko gazes tranquilly on her. "Death is no stranger to us. I come from a school of eight...and I am the only survivor. Ranma's was six, not even a proper school...and she and Kikuko are the only survivors! While...it scares you, the concept of the Black Ocean...we've SEEN it, Nabiki. It's not a thing we like to reflect on, of course...but we accept it."  
  
Nabiki gazes on her, then stares at Ranma and Kikuko. All three of the Saotome sisters...yes, there it was in their eyes. The haunted look of someone who had lost loved ones, someone who knew the finality of life first-hand. It was cruel knowledge, knowledge that Nabiki sometimes tried to deny she had since her mother died. The ultimate loss of innocence. It gave the Saotomes a very hard edge, something Nabiki wasn't sure Akane...*Hell, what about ME?!!* she mentally demands...was ready for.  
  
"That...is heavy," Nabiki sighs, turning to her lunch. "Ranko, can we talk about this later, please?"  
  
"Sure...oh, there's Akane!" Ranko points.  
  
Everyone turns as an incensed Akane storms back to her seat, then drops into the chair. "Damn him!!" she snaps.  
  
"What happened to Kunou?" Nabiki wonders.  
  
"He's in the nurse's station; I caught him by surprise and made sure he'd stay down for the day!" Akane snarls, then blinks as Ranma's hand gently grasps hers. She gazes into her fiancee's eyes, then smiles, relaxing. "Arigatou, Ranma."  
  
"Hey, you, stop seducing my sister!" Nabiki snaps.  
  
Everyone laughs. "Akane-san, we've told Nabiki-san about what you and Onee-san wanted," Kikuko smiles. "Do you really want to do this, given what could happen? I can sense Kunou recovering as we speak now," she gazes in the direction of the nurse's station. "I think he'll be back on his feet by the end of the last class."  
  
"Yes, I want to do it!" Akane nods, then stares at Ranma. "Do you still want to do it?"  
  
"Why not?" Ranma shrugs. "Say, why don't we play this the way that baka started it? Nabiki, Kunou made a speech about this whole mess with Akane before it started, right? Can we get time in the auditorium this afternoon, BEFORE he can interfere?"  
  
"Sure. Second class this afternoon's a study hall for most. I better start spreading the word."  
  
"Domo!" everyone chimes as she heads off...  
  
* * *  
  
Second afternoon class, the auditorium...  
  
"Minna-san, domo arigatou," Akane clears her throat as she stands behind the podium. She had skipped first class, which was physical education, so she and Ranma could brainstorm on what she should say. They'd get in trouble for it, but if they explained their actions to the staff after this speech was made...not to mention how the speech would affect school life in the days to come...why, surely, the teachers would come to appreciate THAT! The auditorium was three-quarters full. Nabiki and her faction of assistants had made a killing in "ticket" sales informing students about Akane's special speech, promising a lot of good information about her...not to mention the mysterious Saotome triplets.  
  
"I thank you for taking time off to come listen to me," Akane sighs. "I'm told that the crowd here now is much bigger than when a certain member of the second grade made a speech concerning me some weeks ago. I'm very glad for that, for it is because of that speech...and what has happened every morning since the day of that speech...that concerns me now. Something I now wish to end."  
  
Confused looks from some people. "Contrary to popular belief, I do NOT take joy in beating people up. I am a martial artist and I take great joy in the Art I practice. Martial artists as a whole refrain from fighting unless they have to. Usually, that is in either self-defence or defence of an innocent. Yes, I have a very bad temper, one that's been a problem for me to control over the last few years. For those I may've hurt because of outbursts of my temper, I give you my deepest apologies."  
  
Now surprise, Ranma senses, standing to Akane's left with her sisters. Clearly, Akane's pride had stopped her from admitting her faults in public before. People were paying rapt attention now. A very good sign to say the least of it. The best way to bring choice prey in, any Nendo-kata knew: give them good bait.  
  
"Several weeks ago, Tatewaki Kunou made a speech. While I don't know all the details about it, he said one thing which has resulted in a very profound annoyance to me...and has come, to my understanding, to hurt a lot of people here. That is, and I think I'm quoting, 'To date Akane Tendou, you must beat her in battle.' To that end, between forty and one hundred of the students here have fought me EVERY DAMNED MORNING since that day. And all they have had to show for it is time in the nurse's station, which no doubt annoys the nurse very much...not to mention the teachers for the lost class time those students miss out recovering!  
  
"I ask you all to consider this: WHY is it someone like Kunou made a speech like that? WHY is it he believes, then forced others to believe, the ONLY way to win the interest of me...and no doubt by extension, EVERY girl in this school with an iota of martial arts skill...is to FIGHT me...and perhaps them? Remember what I said about martial artists and how they really view fighting. Does this mean that Kunou actually...LIKES to fight me?"  
  
A pause.  
  
"All that says to me...is that Kunou is NO martial artist."  
  
Another pause.  
  
"All he is to me...is a bully."  
  
"You tell 'em, Akane-chan!!" a girl erupts from the audience.  
  
*Bless you, Yuka!* Akane smiles on recognizing her friend's voice, then blinks as other girls quickly chime in their support. A glance to Ranma gets a wink in return. Once one person made her support open, others would gladly chime in. Female solidarity in the face of typical male aggression...and when that happened, the males usually caved in. Many of the Horde were here listening to this, so they would be considering what Akane just said.  
  
She then clears her throat. "To that, I add this point. I've recently been told by a new friend of mine...who is quite a martial artist on her own right," she nods to Kikuko, who bows, "...that Kunou in fact HOLDS BACK when he fights me. Could this be because he, out of some knightly concern for my welfare, fears his skill is better than mine? I don't know. Personally, I don't WANT to know! This, I DO know! Another thing TRUE martial artists...remembering that I DON'T consider Kunou a martial artist now...do is RESPECT those whom they face in open challenge...or even in training."  
  
She indicates Ranma. "Ranma-san, who is my new sensei in my Art, has given me nothing but respect since she came into my life last night. By doing so, she has my respect in return. Because of what Kunou has done by his words and deeds...not just to me, but to all of you, even those of you who wished to date me...he has LOST all my respect for him, NOW TO THE DAY I DRAW MY LAST BREATH IN THIS LIFE AND BEYOND!!!!" she raises her voice now, just enough to get their attention. "I'll NEVER call him 'sempai' for his actions do NOT warrant such respect from me...!!!"  
  
"Screw him and the stupid horse he came on!" a guy screams.  
  
Profane but well-expressed, Akane hums to herself. "I'll NEVER acknowledge, no matter how HARD he or those who follow him try, what he tries to do to force his influence over me...!!"  
  
"That's telling 'em, Akane-chan!!!" a girl whoops.  
  
"Stand up for your rights, girl!!!" another girl adds.  
  
"Ah, he's nothing but a big-mouthed idiot anyway! You don't deserve him!!" a man asserts.  
  
"Hell, NO girl does!!" another man adds.  
  
"You got that right!!!" a girl agrees.  
  
Akane relaxes as more people chime in their support, then when the voices calm down, sighs. "And I swear this on the memory of my late mother and on the honour of my family: if ANYONE else so much as tries even an IOTA to follow in Kunou-baka's footsteps, either to me or to anyone else, MAN or WOMAN...then I will do EVERYTHING in my power to see to it that NO ONE respects you every day you walk in the halls of this school or the streets of this district." A pause, then, "If you think I can't do this...I suggest you all better strongly remember...who my sister Nabiki is...and what she is capable of doing to anyone here. After all...to hurt someone or to destroy someone's life...you don't always need martial arts."  
  
Silence as that statement sinks in. Outside the auditorium, Nabiki blinks, an eyebrow rising. She never suspected Akane would say THAT about her in a public forum...much less give her SUPPORT to what Nabiki can do. Still, it would get people thinking. That was the planned end result of this, after all.  
  
"Now that I've said all that, I've an announcement to make, then I'll close to allow you to return to whatever you were doing," Akane sighs, then waves to Ranma. "This woman beside me is the daughter of my father's friend, Genma Saotome. Saotome-jisan, Ranma-san and her sisters came to our house last night after a long time training. It was then that all of us learned of a profound promise Tou-san and Saotome-jisan made before any of us were born. The promise...has led to what would be an unusual result, but we are now working to resolve it in such a way that honour, that giri, which is very important to many *martial artists,* is satisfied.  
  
"The promise made, before any of us were born...note that I emphasize that for a good reason...was that one of the children of Genma and Nodoka Saotome would marry one of the children of Souun and Kimiko Tendou...and by doing so, unite the schools of Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu. As you all know, I have two sisters, Nabiki and Kasumi. As you can all see, Ranma and her sisters Ranko and Kikuko are all girls." She then smiles. "This, you must all realize, made quite an interesting situation in my house last night."  
  
Laughter fills the auditorium. Akane then sobers. "It should also be noted that Ranma...as well as Ranko and Kikuko...are all lesbians. They confessed this to me last night as well. Let's set aside the chauvinistic and homophobic comments for a moment and see what REALLY happens. We know how society in general views people like them. Personally, when they admitted that, that doubled the respect I have for the Saotome sisters. To live with the fact that people will fear them, HATE them, ostracize and try to hurt them, all just because of their gender orientation...and to maintain their outlook on life, which is breathtaking...that takes REAL courage in my eyes. They ALL hold my respect." A pause. "To that end, Ranma and I discussed the matter between ourselves after our fathers made their announcement...and we came to a decision.  
  
"We would honour our fathers' wish to unite the schools and the families...and to that end...we are now formally engaged."  
  
Silence. Everyone stares slack-jawed at Akane, then look at Ranma. "Does this mean that I am like Ranma?" Akane sighs. "I don't know, to be honest. The chances are there I might not be. Ranma respects that. Our fathers do. That is for Ranma and I to discover. Ranma is willing to give me the chance to find out about myself, WITHOUT FORCING ME IN ANY WAY TO MAKE A CHOICE!!!" she raises her voice again to snap them back to attention. "If I decide I can't live with her lifestyle, we will separate, then work on another solution to see our fathers' wishes come true."  
  
A pause, then, "I remind you all again, this is a matter of GIRI. To turn back to that baka Kunou, we know what giri means. While Kunou only pays lip-service to it, Ranma and I take it VERY seriously...and we will not stand for anyone who tries to interfere in our lives because they can't tolerate it. Again, I remind you of the warning I made earlier." She then bows respectfully. "Thank you very much for your time and patience."  
  
With that, she and the Saotome sisters file off the stage. A second later, a whoop of delight echoes from the voices of dozens of girls as they race out the exits. "HURRAY!!!! IT'S OVER!!!! WE CAN HAVE DATES AGAIN!!!! LET'S CELEBRATE!!!!!!"  
  
Behind a stage curtain, Akane and the Saotomes relax. "What does it feel like?" the former wonders.  
  
"The girls are just happy that they can try to get the boys' attention again," Ranma hums, her eyes glowing slightly. "Some of the girls actually are more curious about us than anything else. No fear in them. Many of the boys are thinking 'What a waste!' about us. Typical, I think. Some boys are just glad that you tore Kunou apart like you did in public; by the way they think of that moron, it looks like he was trying to whip EVERY GUY in the school to come after you. The Horde are pretty scared; that threat using Nabiki really got their attention more than anything else...and..."  
  
"What?!" Akane tenses.  
  
"We have a spy!" Ranko hisses, looking up, then points.  
  
Eyes turn to see a short form hanging in the rafters, mostly obscured by the overhead lights, right over the podium where she had been speaking. Akane squints, then her eyes widen. "Wait a minute! I know that guy!! He's Kunou's ninja!"  
  
"Sasuke; yeah, we can sense it!" Ranma sneers, then lifts a finger. "Wanna come down, pal?! Here, let me help you!"  
  
She jerks with her finger...as the guy wires and bars holding the light fixture in place break. That sends it and poor Sasuke down to crash HARD into the podium, an explosion of lights and flashes of electricity showering the stage!! The audience spins around, many shocked on seeing that, then blink as Akane and the Saotomes come back on stage. "What's going on?!" Nabiki calls out, moving through the crowd to join them.  
  
"Recognize him, Nee-chan?" Akane points to the dazed and burnt ninja now half-buried under twisted steel.  
  
Nabiki looks, then hums. "Oh-ho-ho!" she crosses her arms. "Sasuke-san, you should know better. I don't allow you to ALWAYS spy on my little sister, you know!"  
  
"B-but..." Sasuke rasps.  
  
"Not this time," Nabiki scowls. "This time, for what he's done to Akane, Kunou-chan's gonna pay through his TEETH...!"  
  
Sasuke moans...  
  
* * *  
  
"Oooh...such fire Akane Tendou possesses..."  
  
"Oh, Kunou-chan, there you are."  
  
Kunou moans, looking toward the door...then his eyes widen surprisedly as Nabiki walks in, Sasuke slung over her shoulder. She drops the dazed ninja on the bed opposite his master, then she gazes on him. "Nabiki Tendou, what has happened...?"  
  
"Oh, you missed my sister's speech, I'm afraid...and my sister wasn't pleased when she discovered your pal spying on her," Nabiki thumbs Sasuke. "He's going to be out of it for a while."  
  
"Wh-what did your fiery sister say...?"  
  
Nabiki hums, holding up a tape. "You want it, it's twenty thousand...that also covers my carrying your pal in here."  
  
"Done! I will do ANYTHING to listen to Akane's voice! No doubt she has decided to finally reciprocate my love!!"  
  
Money is exchanged, then Nabiki hands him the tape. "I suggest you listen to what the tape says before hearing it from Sasuke, Kunou-chan. By the way, I'm selling copies of this to everyone in the school...to ensure that all the boys get the message. Hear the tape; you'll understand why then. Ja!"  
  
She heads out. Kunou smiles, laying back on the bed, visions of him and Akane marrying dancing merrily in his head...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	3. Reunions

After school...  
  
"Welcome back, everyone. How was school today?"  
  
"Just great, Kasumi-neechan," Akane smiles as everyone relaxes around the coffee table. "I think we're finally going to do something about Kunou-baka and the rest of those idiots before long. Oh, everyone knows about the engagement now."  
  
Kasumi blinks, then stares at Ranma. "Did you have any problems with that, Ranma-chan?"  
  
"Iie. Before we came home, some of Akane's friends and acquaintances told us we had guts admitting that in public," Ranma indicates herself, than her sisters. "It's sad when you think about it. When does truth require courage to tell it?"  
  
"Sometimes, Nee-chan, the truth is too painful for some people to admit to themselves, not to mention admit to other people," Ranko muses. "The chances are, Kunou may be like that, which means we have to be EXTRA cautious around him. Besides, you were like that before the Crossing Over, remember?"  
  
"Hai, you're right. Ranma Saotome, she who possessed the greatest inferiority complex in the world! That's me!!"  
  
The Saotome sisters laugh. Nabiki and Akane remain silent, then turn as Kasumi steps out of the kitchen, tea and several cups in hand. "Oh, I did some shopping while you were gone," the elder Tendou daughter announces. "Starting with your wardrobe and all that, plus some basic necessities you might need. Would you three be willing to sleep with each of us instead of in the guest room?"  
  
Everyone blinks. "First of all, have you discussed this with your father?" Ranko hums. "Personally, I wouldn't mind sharing a room with Nabiki, but I don't want to cause problems with Ji-san."  
  
"Given that there are four of you crammed into the guest room, it's only fair that the accommodations be spread around," Kasumi cautions, smiling. "I personally won't mind Kikuko-chan staying with me. Would you mind sleeping with Ranma-chan and Ranko-chan?" she stares at Nabiki and Akane.  
  
"Well, since we agreed to partner up, it does make sense," Nabiki shrugs. "Besides, that's another thing that'll keep Dad and Saotome-jisan off our backs."  
  
"Akane?" Ranma stares at her fiancee.  
  
"What if someone on the outside finds out?" Akane hums.  
  
"Then they're the perverts, only deserving to get squashed!" Ranma winks. "People should learn to mind their own business, after all. Besides, there are...things I have to learn from you and you need to understand some things in return about me. Okay?"  
  
Akane stares at Ranma, then grins. "Okay!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net and Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART THREE - REUNIONS  
  
"There we go. You look beautiful, Ranma!"  
  
"Domo, Akane," Ranma hums, staring at herself in the mirror. A light amount of blush, lipstick and shadow was added to her face, plus her hair was styled loose. That, added to the track suit that subtlety accentuated her features, gave Ranma a wilder, untamed look. Kasumi had used their private funds to give them a balanced wardrobe that spoke volumes about their personalities. Put simply, Ranma was the tomboy, Ranko the self-assured woman and Kikuko the traditional maiden. Ranma had to compliment Kasumi for her judgement; it was no wonder that she had become the new house matriarch after her mother's passing. "I really like it a lot. It's just enough to make me look beautiful without overdoing it."  
  
"I thought style didn't matter to you," Akane muses, laying her hands on Ranma's shoulders.  
  
Ranma gently grasps her fiancee's hands. "Not really. When you're on the road, one of the last things you have to worry about is how you look to others. But now, I want to make my own style. Nothing too aggressive; that's more Ko-chan than me. But I want people to know in their hearts 'This is Ranma Saotome'...just like you want people to know 'This is Akane Tendou' when you pretty yourself up for a night on the town."  
  
"A little pride shining through, don't you think?"  
  
"Maybe," Ranma shrugs slightly. "Then again, we're already moulding everyone's worldview with what we started this afternoon. I want to keep it as positive as possible to save trouble later. I agree there'll be people around who won't like me because of what I am...or the fact that I'm 'stealing' you off the market. You have to admit, you are pretty popular at the school, Akane."  
  
"Hai, but it's like you said. My popularity's come to hurt other people. I didn't like that, so I wanted it stopped. This was a way of stopping it, doing it in such a way that doesn't hurt those who don't really deserve to be hurt anymore. I like it..."  
  
A knock at the door. "Akane-chan, Ranma-chan?"  
  
"C'mon in, Nee-chan!" Akane calls out.  
  
Kasumi steps in, then gasps on seeing Ranma. "Ranma-chan, you look beautiful!" she beams. "This is nice. Your first try?"  
  
"Hai, it is," Ranma smiles. "I'll get the hang of it soon enough. What's the problem, Kasumi?"  
  
The older Tendou sighs. "Your mother just called."  
  
Silence. "And?" Akane probes, sensing Ranma tense.  
  
"She sounded confused more than anything else," Kasumi sighs. "I asked her to come here right away. She'll be here in an hour, Ranma-chan. It was best to warn you."  
  
"Okay," Ranma sighs. "Domo, Kasumi."  
  
Kasumi withdraws. Ranma walks over to her backpack, reaching in to draw out a small earthen jar, a present from one of her friends in the Nyuchezuu, Tiger. Akane walks over, then kneels beside her. "Your old body's ashes?"  
  
"Hai," Ranma nods. "Well, no matter what, Mom'll get what she wants tonight. I just hope it won't cause too much bad blood."  
  
Akane nods, gently squeezing Ranma's shoulder...  
  
* * *  
  
"It's good to see you again, Nodoka-san."  
  
"Domo arigatou, Souun-san," Nodoka smiles, placing the Saotome honour sword on the floor before her, then she sighs. It was agreed to that Souun would receive Nodoka first and begin the explanations before the triplets would be brought out. "I really don't want to bother you about this, but...something very strange is going on here. A person at the family registrar has just told me...that my son...is now legally a woman! On top of that, I now have two additional daughters!!"  
  
Souun sighs. "Nodoka-san, this is very hard for me to say to you up front...but you deserve to know the truth no matter what the consequences. Genma-kun and Ranma are here now...along with the others, Ranko and Kikuko. But...something happened a little over a month ago as they were winding down their training trip...that caused this present state of affairs. A bad accident occurred in China...that cursed your husband and forever changed your first child. That...shames Genma-kun very much; he would gladly exile himself from you to atone. I...please, I know of the agreement Genma-kun made with you before he left with Ranma. I...ask you, for your family's sake most of all...to just listen to what I say and understand how much things have changed."  
  
The determination in his voice causes Nodoka to stare at him intently. "I...I'm listening."  
  
Souun begins. The explanation lasts twenty minutes. At the end of it, Nodoka is ashen-faced, stunned at how much things had flown out of control. "Then...my son is physically dead...but lives on in a part-alien woman, one of these...Nendo-kata...?"  
  
"Yes," Souun nods. "Ranma...has the ashes of her old body, the body you gave birth to...if all you can bring yourself to accept is just that. This was just as hard for her to see through to the end as it was for Genma-kun. But one thing I do know, Nodoka-san...is that this new Ranma loves you very much...and wants your family to be brought back together again."  
  
Nodoka shudders, then grips her katana. "I...I'm not sure what to think right now..." she breathes out. "Where are they?"  
  
"In the dojo. Nodoka-san...please..." he indicates the katana in her hands. "It would make it easier for them."  
  
Nodoka blinks, then stares at the blade. She then shudders as an image plays in her mind. One of her acting as the second, Genma and her son on their knees before her, tantous in hand as they're about to be thrust into their stomachs. No doubt, that very image would be flashing in their minds. There was no place for fear at a time like this...either theirs or hers. With that, she places the katana on the table, then rises. "Shall we?"  
  
They walk out of the house, heading into the dojo. Stepping through the doorway, Nodoka stops, her eyes widening. Sitting in a row by the shrine, with Genma to one side, were...three teenage versions of HERSELF, all in beautiful kimonos, their faces done up just so. No doubt, Kasumi's deft hand was involved; Kimiko had always told her how good her eldest daughter was when it came to housework. Their hair was styled differently to accentuate the spiritual differences heralded by their eyes. The woman in the middle holds an urn in her hands. She had blue eyes.  
  
Ranma's eyes.  
  
Nodoka blinks, then walks over to kneel before Ranma, hands reaching out. Ranma hands her the urn. Nodoka shudders, gazing at the small clay pot, then she hugs it close. "Sayonara, atashi no musuko-chan (my son). Kesshite wasurenai (I won't forget you)."  
  
"Kesshite wasurenai," the three younger women whisper.  
  
Nodoka blinks, then sets the urn aside before she gazes on Ranma. There was concern in those sapphire orbs...but there was love...not to mention joy and satisfaction that this was happening.  
  
She stares at the green-eyed woman. Ranko, her lost daughter, who might have never had the chance to live, miraculously restored. There was concern in those emerald orbs...and a barely-veiled warning. No doubt, Ranko had often felt the opposite of Ranma when it came to their training trip...and perhaps now harboured some resentment to Nodoka for allowing it to happen in the first place.  
  
To the brown-eyed woman. Kikuko, the unfortunate girl who drowned in that awful spring so many years ago. Loneliness and delight flashed in her eyes, not to mention hope that this would turn out for the best. Oh, yes, she could welcome her, too.  
  
Nodoka sighs. "My son is dead. However, that does not mean I will turn any of you back if you...desire me as your mother. I have been denied a family for a decade. That...you seek to help reform my family...speaks well of you. Souun-san has told me much of what has happened to you all. I would now hear it from you."  
  
"As you wish, Okaa-san," Ranma nods.  
  
Nodoka blinks, then smiles, her eyes misting.  
  
Oh, it was SO nice to be called "Mother" again...!  
  
* * *  
  
Later...  
  
"I hope they're alright."  
  
"They'll be fine," Kasumi sighs as the Tendou sisters relax around the coffee table. The Saotome clan's honour blade sits nearby, drawing wary stares from the three women. "We have to think positively about this, Akane-chan."  
  
"I hope so," Akane sighs.  
  
The door opens. The three turn to see everyone stream in. Nodoka smiles on seeing Kimiko's daughters. "There you are! We missed you in the dojo, girls!"  
  
"You deserved the chance to be with your daughters first, Saotome-basan," Kasumi smiles as everyone relaxes, rising to head into the kitchen to fetch some tea.  
  
Kikuko follows Kasumi into the kitchen as the others relax, the parents forming a row on one side of the table. "Now that this is settled finally, we can get on to other matters...namely how we will arrange for you two to get married, not to mention WHEN it will happen," Souun gazes on Ranma and Akane.  
  
"Tou-san, I believe we decided this last night," Akane warns. "It's not right to set dates until things are right."  
  
Souun jolts. "B-but...!"  
  
"I agree," Ranma sighs. "Tendou-san, I realize how important this is for you. It is for that reason that we are willing to give it a chance. But if you and Oyaji try in any way to force us into something we're not ready for...you'll be in for a rude surprise."  
  
"Girl, family honour is on the line...!" Genma protests.  
  
"Oh?" Ranma fixes him with a level stare. "Speaking of family honour, shall I inform Okaa-san of the other things you've done behind her back, not to mention Tendou-san's, during the trip?"  
  
Genma jolts, paling. "Husband, what is our elder daughter talking about?" Nodoka wonders.  
  
"N-nothing at a-all, dear..." Genma stammers.  
  
"What IS this all about, Ranma?" Nabiki muses. "You said last night that complications would set in because of this."  
  
"Do tell us, Ranma," Nodoka instructs.  
  
"Hai, Okaa-san," Ranma nods. "During the trip, we were living in conditions that would seem quite hellish to many people used to a stable home and steady job. Money was scarce if not totally absent. In a way, that's a good thing; I learned to travel light and have come to eschew material things that doesn't pertain to the Art. However, when things became very tight, we were forced...or rather, Oyaji forced me on some occasions...to steal and perform other illegal acts to keep us whole and hearty."  
  
Genma shudders. Nodoka sighs. "Genma...!"  
  
"Don't be surprised, Nodoka-san," Souun chuckles. "When we were training with the Master, it was just as bad."  
  
"Oh, really, Tendou-san?" Ranma's eyebrow rises. "When you were with your teacher, I doubt you had to endure...complications a young, growing boy, someone who is clearly developing into a very handsome young man...could present to those who have daughters for whom they'd like to find a nice husband."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Daughter...is this leading to where I think it's leading to?" Nodoka tightly grips her sword.  
  
"I am afraid so, Okaa-san," Ranma sighs. "As of now, atop the obligation to the Tendou clan...I am technically engaged to marry at least nine other women."  
  
Silence.  
  
Souun blinks, then spins on Genma. "***SAOTOME, HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING?!?! HOW COULD YOU JUST FORGET THE AGREEMENT WE MADE TO UNITE THE SCHOOLS AND THE FAMILIES?!?!?!***" he bellows, a chi-charged Demon Head sending Genma cowering away.  
  
Nodoka moans. "I can't BELIEVE you, Genma!!!" she glares at him. "Doesn't honour mean ANYTHING to you?!!" She then turns to Ranma. "When did you learn of this, Ranma?"  
  
"When I was undergoing the Crossing Over, Okaa-san," Ranma sighs. "That's also when I learned of the seppuku pledge Oyaji made to you. However, save for one of those other engagements, I would personally dismiss the others as somewhat...trivial."  
  
Nodoka's jaw drops in shocked disbelief. "Ranma, I hardly consider a marriage promise 'trivial!'"  
  
"When it's made in exchange for a simple meal, Okaa-san?" Ranma's eyebrow arches. "I don't condone any of this either, by the way...and I've warned Oyaji that HE is the one that's going to answer for this, not me. I don't like the idea of being sold like that whatsoever. However, concerning the cases of eight of those nine women I mentioned, the promise was made for a simple meal to keep us both going. Charity to lonely Wanderers is one of the Great School's core beliefs. To actually AGREE to bind a Wanderer in an engagement to a total stranger...ugh, no thank you!" she shudders, then sighs. "I'm not sure about you, Okaa-san, but if those families believed they could, in a way, take advantage of two starving, wandering martial artists...and obtain a husband for their daughter for the price of a simple meal...well, doesn't that, in some way, allude to a form of slavery they're practicing?"  
  
Nodoka and Souun blink, then exchange looks. "An...unusual conclusion to make, Ranma...but indeed, if they valued your life so LOW as to agree to what was being offered?" the former hums, then glares at a trembling Genma. "It does not condone what your father has done whatsoever...but I can, as your mother, dissolve the other agreements in case they press this matter...and force your father to adhere to what you demand concerning them."  
  
"Ranma-chan, you said 'eight of the nine' women were in this situation," Kasumi muses. "What of the ninth?"  
  
Ranma blinks, then sighs. "That...will be the problem. Both in concerns of honour...and friendship."  
  
"Ranma?" Akane gazes worriedly at her.  
  
"Gomen, Akane. The ninth person is...Ukyou Kuonji."  
  
"U-chan..." Ranko whispers.  
  
"Poor Ukyou-san," Kikuko bows her eyes.  
  
"Who is Ukyou Kuonji?" Nodoka wonders.  
  
"My first true friend, Okaa-san," Ranma curls her lip inward as memories flood back. "Someone who, when we first met, I assumed was a boy. We were only five years old at the time. Hence, our nicknames for each other: 'U-chan' and 'Ran-chan.' Her father is from Kyoto. He's an okonomiyaki chef and a practitioner of an armed Art which uses kitchen utensils as its weapons base. Oyaji and I were training close to where the Kuonjis' yatai was set up. To obtain something to eat, I'd challenge U-chan for a free 'yaki every day. Because of my better skill, I won every time. Besides, even then, I thought U-chan was the best cook I'd EVER met."  
  
"So this is an accumulated debt, you mean," Nodoka sighs.  
  
"No, it's worse than that, Okaa-san. Over time, U-chan and I became close friends. Her father then approached Oyaji to make an agreement to see us married. Oyaji then came to me and asked what I liked better: U-chan or okonomiyaki. I answered the latter, not understanding, of course, the true significance of the question. The next thing that happened was that Oyaji was carting away the Kuonjis' yatai with me riding on the back...and U-chan..." she looks down. "Chasing after us begging to be taken with us."  
  
Silence. Nodoka blinks, not WANTING to believe what Ranma just said, then she glares at Genma. "You...ABANDONED an innocent child on the road just because you TRICKED OUR CHILD into choosing FOOD over HER?!! WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO DO THAT, GENMA?!?!?!"  
  
"Nodoka, I couldn't bring her along with us!!!" Genma snaps back. "It's the VERY same reason I chose to take Ranma away from you!! You wanted a 'man above men,' remember...?!!"  
  
"That no longer matters! Besides, THAT was what YOU promised me so you could drag my child off on your fool crusade in the first place!!!" Nodoka snaps, hefting her katana in emphasis, then sighs. "I can only THINK of what poor Ukyou-san went through back then!!!"  
  
"There's one more thing," Ranma advises.  
  
Nodoka stares at her. "Being?"  
  
"U-chan's father considered the yatai a dowry to solidify the engagement," Ranma flatly announces.  
  
Silence. Nodoka stares at her daughter, then she emits a controlled sigh. "I see..." she hums, then stares at Souun. "Even you must admit, Souun-san, once a dowry has been taken, that makes the agreement quite legitimate in many people's eyes."  
  
"Yes, I would, Nodoka-san," Souun gravely nods. "And if you wish to press through with this to restore Ukyou-san's honour, I will not object. Given the fact that you now have THREE children instead of one, it's not as damaging as you'd think."  
  
"Agreed," Nodoka nods, then stares at Ranma. "I assume that now with our family reunited, your next priority...?"  
  
"Is U-chan," Ranma nods. "Hai, Okaa-san, that was exactly what we had in mind. We've only been here two days. While we're settling down, we want to see these matters resolved immediately before they end up blowing up in our collective faces."  
  
"True. Alright, as far as I am concerned, the engagement with Ukyou Kuonji bears equal ranking with the engagement to the Tendou family and WILL be honoured as best as possible," Nodoka nods, then turns to Akane. "I know you've only known my child for a couple days, Akane-san. But...if Ukyou-san's situation demands it...would you be willing to dissolve the engagement so Ranma may answer it?"  
  
Akane sighs. "Saotome-basan, you said it yourself. I've only known your daughter for two days. The reason we're keeping the engagement 'floating,' in spite of our fathers' wishes, is that, despite the long traditions of arranged marriages, no one can ask people to fall in love with total strangers at a drop of a hat. At this time, I consider Ranma a friend. I also know your daughter has FEW friends to speak of...and it grieves me that her father's callous actions years ago tore Ranma from her first true friend. If Ukyou-san can accept Ranma as her life-mate...and if her own situation leaves her no way out...then I will gladly step aside."  
  
"We really can't judge until we know what's actually going on with U-chan, Kaa-san," Ranko warns.  
  
"We better make sure she's not going to try a scam in reverse just for revenge," Nabiki adds, holding up a warning finger.  
  
"Agreed...but given Ranma's new abilities, we will be quite forewarned if such happens," Nodoka sighs, then stares at Genma. "Husband, you and I have some things to discuss. We will do so now. In the meantime, minna-san, I bid you all a good night."  
  
"Oyasumi nasai (Good night)," everyone chimes...  
  
* * *  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Ranma hums, sitting on her futon beside Akane's bed, gazing out the window at the starry night. "Oh, I was just thinking about U-chan, Akane," she turns to her fiancee, now on her bed. "Gomen."  
  
"Don't apologize," Akane smiles. "Given what happened, you've got every right to be angry at your dad...but why is it...?"  
  
"I'm still with him?" Ranma hums. "One, as a Nendo-kata, I'm supposed to promote Unity, not disUnity. To walk away, put simply, would destroy my family and no doubt break my mother's heart. Two, my human half was raised by him alone for ten years. Despite...his bizarre, cruel ways of teaching the Art, he was the only adult in my life. And..." she sighs. "I know he's done a lot of things wrong...and thinks it's okay to run away from problems he's caused. But I'm not letting him get away with what he's done, Akane...and deep down, I can sense that he...wants to atone."  
  
"Why do you suppose he's like that, anyway?"  
  
"Actually, it goes back to when he was training with his and your dad's sensei, Happousai," Ranma snorts. "If you think Oyaji's bad, Happousai's a million times worse. Then again, if you think about it, that is...the basic philosophy of the Art. 'Win by any means possible.' Clearly, Happousai...and in a way, Oyaji...think it's alright to live their whole LIVES that way."  
  
Akane shakes her head. "No thank you! I like the Art, but I don't want to throw away honour and truth to practice it."  
  
"Neither do I. At first...damn, it seemed like a silly game to me, you know," Ranma bows her eyes. "I didn't understand back then what was going on. Only now is it dawning on me...how much damage Oyaji and I caused. If...oh, U-chan...!"  
  
Akane watches as Ranma buries her face into her hands, gentle sobs escaping her. Immediately, the younger Tendou moves to shift her fiancee onto the bed, drawing her arms around her. Ranma gazes at her, then smiles as she rests her head on Akane's shoulder.  
  
"Arigatou, Akane," she smiles.  
  
"You deserve it," Akane pats Ranma's back. "Don't worry. It worked out with your mom. It'll work out with Ukyou, too. Hang onto your faith, Ranma...and don't give up hope."  
  
"Hai..."  
  
* * *  
  
Near Tokyo, the next morning...  
  
"Oh, Ryouga, you fool, where'd you go?!!"  
  
Ukyou sighs, eyes glowing as she scans around for the missing wanderer. Jeez, no wonder Ryouga carried his pack with him at ALL times. He had confessed to her that he could get lost in a room with one door. She thought he had been joking...but now...!  
  
She bows her head, relaxing her powers. "Don't get hurt, my friend. I'd hate it if you got hurt," she whispers, then sighs, picking up her own bag. Well, time to get back on the trail. She had learned that Genma and Ranma had returned to Japan from China near Fukuoka and were heading towards Tokyo. Given the mass of people ahead of her, this was going to be hard even WITH her new powers aiding her. "Ready or not, Ran-chan, here I come..."  
  
With that, she boosts herself into the air, pack in hand as she soars towards the distant metropolis...  
  
* * *  
  
The Tendou dojo...  
  
"Ugh!! Akane, how in the blessed name of the Mother Ocean do people STAND wearing these torture devices?!! Sports bras and panties are WAY better than these damned things!!"  
  
Akane laughs as Ranma slips her bloomers on, then straightens her skirt before the two step out of the former's room to have breakfast. The uniforms arrived the previous afternoon; with some alterations thanks to Kasumi, they were modified to chase away the feeling of "sameness" the blue skirt and white blouses forced on the Saotome triplets. Even better, Kasumi found what Akane now nicknamed "Ranma socks"...socks with prancing horses forming the trimming...to give Ranma a further sense of individuality. "I know. We all hate them, Ranma. Relax; you're not alone."  
  
"You got yours on so we can practice fence-walking?"  
  
"Hai, Sensei, all in place."  
  
"Yokatta!"  
  
Both sit at the table as they dig in. Nodoka had stayed with Genma overnight; she was now fussing over Kikuko's hair. Nodoka's presence ensured that Genma didn't try to perform some "table-top training" with her children.  
  
Ranma could sense the unease Genma felt at Nodoka being part of their lives again. Given Genma's "man above men" philosophy, women were a "corrupting" influence. That was what led to the farce with Ukyou...and what forced Ranma away from Nodoka for a decade. Now that Ranma WAS a woman...and with two sisters to boot, each of whom now possessed Ranma's skill-level...Genma's world-view was being fed into a blender called "reality" and set to puree.  
  
Take the fact that Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko were dressing, acting and being accepted by society AS women, most hints of the pre-Crossing Over Ranma vanished into the Black Ocean. To further accentuate their differences, the Saotome triplets had abandoned the old Ranma's braided pigtail. Ranma wore her hair loose, Ranko preferred a ponytail bound with barrettes, while Kikuko braided her hair. Atop the uniforms and personalized socks...Kikuko had flowers on hers while Ranko's were trimmed with fire (they were as unique as Ranma's!)...the three were worlds different from the tomboyish martial artists who had walked into the Tendou dojo two days ago. Worse (in Genma's eyes), they were showing no sign of letting up on their self-transformation.  
  
Once breakfast is done, Ranko gives Nabiki another ride on Air Ranko to Furinkan, ensuring that the middle Tendou daughter was ready just in case Akane's message the previous day hadn't sunk in. Kikuko accompanies them; while some thought her the odd woman out, it was always smart to have someone held in reserve just in case things got totally out of control. Ranma and Akane stay to the ground...or rather, the fence-line...as they head to school. "Can you sense if someone's waiting for us already?" Akane wonders.  
  
"I have to be a little closer for my empathic powers to be effective...and almost at the gates before my telepathy can come into play. Gomen, Akane," Ranma smiles. "People around me always haze up my senses. I have to be some centuries older before I could expand my range to encompass something bigger."  
  
"It's okay...but it would be nice to have some advanced warning in case Kunou-baka didn't get the message, ne?"  
  
"That's true. Then again, all we have to do is ask Kiku-chan to give us a shout of warning..."  
  
Nee-chan!!!  
  
"Speak of the devil-shark!" Ranma grits her teeth. What is it, Kikuko?! Something wrong?!  
  
Get ready! Kunou and about a dozen boys from the Horde are waiting at the gates! They're after you now!!  
  
"Uh-oh!" Ranma snarls.  
  
"What?!" Akane stares at her.  
  
"Looks like Kunou's decided to take me on now!"  
  
"Oh, brother...!"  
  
The two race on ahead, picking up their pace as they close in on the school. Once they are within range, Ranma's own empathic senses lock in on the targets. Sure enough, there were a few boys at the gate. The entire kendo team (and their captain) plus a couple others, she realizes, all decent fighters though they didn't possess her years of training. Alright, this might be a little more intense than what Akane once faced. From what she could sense of their emotions, they were determined to beat her...ah!  
  
Ranma's eyes glow as her telepathy comes into play. She was still out of sight from the school gates and behind Akane, so there was no danger. The boys ahead had been whipped into line because of Kunou in some mad hope to "cleanse" Ranma of her lesbianism. Kunou was now flatly convinced that alien sorcery was involved and saw it as his "duty" as a samurai to see it erased. That didn't mention his outrage at Ranma's and Akane's engagement. Idiot. He couldn't make up his mind who to pursue, Akane or Ranma!  
  
She relaxes, handing Akane her bookbag. "Would you mind? I'll make sure they don't interfere with you going into class."  
  
"Okay! Good luck, Ranma!" Akane hops off the fence.  
  
With that, Ranma makes a telekinetically-boosted leap, clearing fifty metres in one spring to land on the school grounds behind the crowd of boys at the gate. Before they could realize what was happening, Ranma cups her hands, focusing her chi.  
  
"***SEIGI TSUNAMI!!!!***"  
  
A bolt of pure blue ki lashes out, expanding into a wall of energy that slams into the poor boys' backs, sending them flying everywhere. As Ranma intended, the ki of her Righteous Tidal Wave expended itself solely on target; Akane was nowhere close to being threatened. Once the way is clear, Ranma walks up to the gate, turning to present her arm to Akane. The youngest Tendou blinks, then slips her arm around Ranma's as she passes over her fiancee's book bag. With that, they walk towards the front doors.  
  
Watching from the windows, hundreds of students are hushed, awed by the display of POWER Ranma Saotome unleashed on Kunou and the Horde. Suddenly, a whoop escapes from one of the classrooms. "Way to go, Ranma!!! That's showing them!!!" a girl cheers.  
  
"Put that jerk in place, Ranma-san!!!" another girl whoops.  
  
A mass outcry of cheers and applause thunders through the air as Ranma pauses, her cheeks flaming at the overwhelming attention. Sensing Akane's delight at her fiancee's acceptance in the Furinkan community, Ranma then pulls away before curtsying cutely to the crowd before her. She then turns to Akane. "Iko (Let's go)!"  
  
"Hai!!" Akane nods as they race inside...  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyou hums.  
  
She now stands atop the Toranoseishin Tower in Tomobiki, about three kilometres from Furinkan High. Her eyes glow as the echo of telepathic/ki energy reverberates through the air. Nendo-kata possessed a unique psionic signature, a beacon to others that a sister was near. Being the social species they were...and seeing that Ukyou was a Wanderer, alone for five centuries...Nendo-kata were drawn together when they sensed one of their own.  
  
"Well, might as well not be rude," she hums. "Maybe that girl can help me find Ran-chan."  
  
With that, she bounds off...  
  
* * *  
  
"I must confess, Ranma-san, that was quite a display this morning. Would you care to explain what you just did?"  
  
"Hai, Sensei," Ranma nods. The teacher had called her to the front of the class as she came in. "One of the things martial arts teaches, especially in the more advanced forms, is the manipulation of chi and ki, the life energies we all have within us. Since I've trained for so long, I can easily call forth my chi and ki to aid me in defeating my opponent. This morning, I made use of a special attack I learned a month ago in China. Since it is modeled by myself, I gave it the name 'Seigi Tsunami.'"  
  
"But why did you attack Kunou and those idiots from behind, Ranma?" Sayuri Toshio, one of Akane's friends, inquires.  
  
Ranma sighs. "Under normal circumstances, if Kunou offered me a proper challenge, I would respond honourably. He didn't. He was willing to allow a dozen people to attack me in hopes of wearing me down, then defeating me. It's the same stunt he tried to pull on Akane, Sayuri. A creeping conquest. And I will not stand for it."  
  
"Atop that, by attacking Nee-chan, most likely in some vain hope of separating her and Akane, Kunou shows he has NO honour to speak of because he disregarded the agreement between our families," Ranko adds. "As Akane said yesterday, minna-san, this is *giri* that's been invoked. That's a serious matter to us. If he doesn't care for that, then as that one fellow said, screw 'em and the high horse he rode in on, that's all!"  
  
"Ranko-san..." the teacher warns.  
  
"Sumimasen," Ranko blushes.  
  
Everyone laughs. "Ne, ne, Kikuko-san, can you do that, too?!" a girl asks Kikuko.  
  
"Hai," Kikuko rises, then cups her hands.  
  
Everyone gasps as pure gold ki forms a ball inside her hands. "My attack is similar to Ranma-neechan's, but I call it the Kibara No Toge Arashi (Yellow Rose Thorn Storm). Watch!"  
  
She cups one hand at Ranma. The older Saotome raises her hand to receive. "***KIBARA NO TOGE ARASHI!!!!***" Kikuko calls as a volley of ki balls, each the size of baseballs, lashes out to smack into Ranma's hand, the energy disintegrating on contact harmlessly.  
  
"Sugoi...!" escapes a dozen lips.  
  
"What about you, Ranko?!" Akane wonders.  
  
"Well, my special attacks are the Uzumaki-ken (Whirlpool Fist) and the Fuuyou no Gekido (Wind Dance Fury)," Ranko hums. "But since both can easily wreck this room and put most of you into the hospital, I won't show them in class. And yes, Akane, you'll be taught how to make a ki attack when you're ready for it, okay?"  
  
Akane jolts, then beams. "Yoshi! Arigatou, Ranko!"  
  
The others blink. "What about the mallet?" Yuka Sudou hums.  
  
"'Mallet?'" Ranma wonders.  
  
"She means this, Ranma," Akane whips out a wooden mallet, holding it up above her head. "For some strange reason, Nabiki calls this 'Mallet-sama.'"  
  
"Yeah, that's a basic ki attack, alright," Ranma comes up to feel the weapon's surface. "But it's too clumsy in some cases. Yeah, it's great for pervert-bashing, but in a serious fight, all your opponent has to do is knock it out of your hand. If you're too used to using this in a fight, that'll hurt you bad, Akane."  
  
"Oh...soo ka," Akane hums, returning Mallet-sama to wherever it goes when she doesn't need it.  
  
"Oh, hang onto it, of course. Like I said, it's great to keep perverts and chikan artists at bay."  
  
Akane blushes. "Arigatou, Ranma!"  
  
"Okay, you, what did you do to Akane?!" Daisuke Koomei, one of the few men Ranma befriend in this class yesterday, glares at her. "This isn't the Akane we know of! Cough her over!!"  
  
Akane flushes while everyone laughs...  
  
* * *  
  
"So what's your problem, friend?"  
  
Kunou moans, slowly rising to his knees as his brain comes back on-line, then he looks up to see a woman in black form-fitting trousers and a purple okonomiyaki-ya's gi, a HUGE spatula slung on her back, standing before him. The woman was raven-haired (with a white bowtie for the right kawaii effect) and brown-eyed. Staring at this lovely vision, he bolts up to grasp her hand...and gets an elbow with the power of a flying log smashed into his head!  
  
"I asked if you had a problem, friend. I didn't give you permission to touch me," she snarls.  
  
"Beauteous...goddess...!" he drops to the ground, passing out.  
  
Ukyou sighs, her eyes glowing as she probes the after-effect of whatever downed the kendoist and his sparring pals. Yes, a ki blast of some sort...but it had been boosted with both telekinesis and force-empathy. Only one of her sisters could pull THIS off.  
  
But who was it...?  
  
"Aiya! What happened here?!" a voice accented by the wilds of rural China tickles the cook's ear.  
  
Ukyou looks to see a lavender-purple haired Chinese woman with chestnut eyes standing there, staring quizzically at the fallen boys. Concentrating, she senses the other woman was clearly a combination matriarch/sage/healer-in-training, about the age of Ukyou's human-self. A soul honed of steel; she probably came from a part of the People's Republic who didn't kowtow to the idiots running the country in Beijing...but so full of passion at the same time. She was here looking for her "airen." Well, help those in need of help; that was the Golden Rule of the Nendo-kata. "Someone got angry at these morons, that's for sure," Ukyou chuckles.  
  
Shampoo blinks, staring at the other woman...then her eyes widen as the other's chi signature comes to her. "You...you're of the Great School!" she exclaims.  
  
Ukyou jolts. "You know of us?!!"  
  
"Hai! Airen's also from the Great School!! Aiya, this is so nice! Um...are you also a Wanderer?" Shampoo then probes.  
  
"Hai, I am. Oh, my manners. Atashi wa Kuonji Ukyou desu (I'm Ukyou Kuonji). Yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you)."  
  
"Yoroshiku. Watashi wa Joketsuzoku no Nyu Xian-pu desu (I'm Nyu Xian-pu of Joketsuzoku)."  
  
"Alright, Xian. So, what's your fiancee's name?"  
  
"Ranko Saotome."  
  
Ukyou blinks surprisedly. "Ran-...KO Saotome?! Um...would she be related to a RANMA Saotome?"  
  
"Hai. Ranko is Ranma's sister. Um...I also know that Ranma used to be a boy, but he Crossed Over and became a girl the same time Airen and their sister Kikuko did."  
  
Ukyou blinks again, then her quite shocked look turns into a delighted smile. "Ran-chan's...one...he...she...Crossed Over...?" she stammers, then screams, "YATTA!!!!!!"  
  
Shampoo hums. "Is Ranma your Airen?"  
  
"I...ah, y-yeah, in a way!" Ukyou calms herself, then stares at the insensate Kunou. "Let's see now..." she kneels, touching his head as she telepathically probes his mind. "Oh, ho! Looks like we're in luck, Xian! Ran-chan, Ranko-chan and Kikuko-chan come to this school here," she thumbs Furinkan High.  
  
"Can we see them now?" Shampoo trembles excitedly.  
  
"No. Most likely, they're in class. It's rude to interrupt classes while they're in session. Let's just go to the cafeteria and wait until lunch before we see them, okay?"  
  
"Okay!"  
  
With that, they head inside...  
  
* * *  
  
"Are you okay, Ranko-chan? You look a little unnerved."  
  
Ranko blinks, then stares at one of Nabiki's assistants, Mitsuri Hanna. Nabiki had introduced Ranko as the newest member of their faction (officially known as the Furinkan High Economics Club) yesterday. "Hai, I do, Mitsu-chan. I can't understand why...but I feel as if someone I know very well is close by."  
  
"A friend?" Mitsuri hums as they step into the cafeteria.  
  
"More than..."  
  
"Wo na ai, Airen."  
  
Ranko stops, her face paling as she senses a pair of warm arms wrap around her from behind. She then turns to see a cute face framed in lavender hair gazing fondly at her. "X-xian...?"  
  
"Miss me?" Shampoo coos.  
  
"What do you think?!!" Ranko snarls as she spins around, swamping Shampoo with a hug and a kiss.  
  
Gasps echo from the students around them as the Amazon and the Nendo-kata enjoy their passionate reunion, then a woman clears her throat. "Care to introduce your friend, Ranko?"  
  
Ranko blinks. Damn, she HATED it when people interrupted her time with Shampoo. "'Biki, I swear, you have NO sense of romance whatsoever!" she pulls a twitterpated Shampoo erect, then glares at her friend. "Jeez, can't a girl be passionate with her girlfriend without everyone throwing in their five yen worth?"  
  
"Hey, I can afford it!" Nabiki smirks, then stares at Shampoo. "And you must be Xian-pu. It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Did Airen teach you Mandarin?" Shampoo blinks surprisedly on hearing Nabiki's near-flawless accent.  
  
"The same way she taught you Japanese, so she tells me. I take it your honoured great-grandmother's allowed you to pursue Ranko in earnest," Nabiki muses.  
  
"Hai," Shampoo switches back to Japanese. "Hibaa-chan was more than happy to let me net Airen."  
  
"But what of the other elders?" Ranko wonders.  
  
"It's no problem," Shampoo winks. "You made a decision that was to our benefit. Besides, what's better? A small disUnity and a larger Unity or a small Unity leading to a civil war?"  
  
"Aaai, you make your point well," Ranko smiles, then gently grasps her girlfriend's hand. "C'mon, let's go see the others. They'll be more than happy to see you again, Xian."  
  
"Oh, dear, I'm being dumped," Nabiki mock-wails.  
  
She then yelps as Ranko grabs her arm and drags her over to the corner table where the other Saotomes and Akane now sit. "Xian-san!" Kikuko beams. "What are you doing here?!"  
  
"Coming to claim my Airen, sister-in-law, what do you think?" Shampoo smiles, then gazes on Ranma. "Oh, Ranma, I've got some really good news for you. Your Airen's here, too."  
  
Ranma blinks confusedly. "MY Airen...?!"  
  
*PLOP!*  
  
She looks down to see a warm okonomiyaki on a plate before her, a message written in the sauce: I MISSED YOU, RAN-CHAN. DID YOU MISS ME? Seeing this, the elder Saotome feels a lump in her throat, then she turns...to see the adult version of her fondest memory gazing at her. "Ohayo, Ran-chan. It's been a while."  
  
Ranma blinks, then her eyes widen as her empathic senses reach out...and find a loving warmth only another Nendo-kata could project awaiting her. "U-U-chan, wh-what happened...?"  
  
"No doubt, something similar to what happened to you," Ukyou winks, then turns back to her portable grill. "We'll talk about it later; too many people close to us. I suppose you two know what we really are, do you?" she then gazes on Nabiki and Akane.  
  
"We've been...informed," Nabiki nods. "In fact, we've been expecting you since last night, Ukyou. Ranma...told us of what her father did to you all those years ago."  
  
"That, I will settle between me and him in due time, I assure you," Ukyou hums as she starts to cook more for the others, her eyes glancing at Akane. "Oi, I don't bite, you know."  
  
Akane jolts, then blushes furiously. "Gomen."  
  
"Relax, honey, it's okay..."  
  
"No, you don't understand," Akane sighs. "You see, atop what Ranma's father did to you...he made a promise to MY father to see one of my family marry into Ranma's family. I...Ranma and I..."  
  
Ukyou pauses, then gazes at Ranma. "You mean...?"  
  
"I had no idea about your situation and there were a ton of other problems along the way, U-chan," Ranma shakes her head. "I never really realized how complicated Oyaji made my life until the day I Crossed Over. One of those problems concerned my mother, believe it or not. You can't expect me to help you until the problems with my family were resolved, would you?"  
  
Ukyou hums. "Ran-chan, if this was before I Crossed Over, I wouldn't've really cared. I'll explain why later. But, miss..." she then gazes on Akane, "I give you fair warning right now. I do intend to see this through...with Ran-chan and no one else."  
  
Akane returns her stare, then nods. "I...can understand that, Ukyou-san. We...really should save this until later. No doubt, it's been a very long trip for you."  
  
Ukyou blinks, then turns back to her stove, inwardly smiling. So, the young lady...Akane Tendou, she remembers from mind-scanning that sub-creature Kunou...had a torch for Ranma, eh? Hmmm...maybe there was a way to settle this and allow both Akane and Ukyou to get the best from it. Hoping Ranma wouldn't mind, of course...  
  
* * *  
  
Later...  
  
"Minna-san, we apologize for...the presence of these two young ladies in class today, but there's a reason for it."  
  
"Please, Ranma-san, tell us," the teacher smiles. He had to privately admit, teaching classes hadn't been THIS interesting at Furinkan for a long time now. After all, morning brawls and badly quoted Shakespeare could get quite tedious.  
  
"Hai, Sensei," Ranma nods, then turns to Ranko. "Ko-chan?"  
  
"Hai, Nee-chan. First of all, may I present...my fiancee, Nyu Xian-pu of the Nyu-che-zuu of China," Ranko indicates Shampoo, the latter's name in kanji and katakana on the board. "If you have problems pronouncing her name, she does answer to 'Shampoo.' I met her a month ago when my family came to her village."  
  
"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, minna-san," Shampoo smiles.  
  
"Isn't that a little fast, Shampoo-san?" Sayuri wonders.  
  
"Not at all. When Airen and her family came to our village, they helped us defend several of our younger warriors from bandits trying to kidnap brides for the Musk Kingdom."  
  
"Bride-napping exists in China?!" Yuka gasps.  
  
"In certain parts," Shampoo nods. "You see, my tribe is quite matriarchal, hence our nickname 'Chinese Amazons.' The Musk are the total opposite of the Nyu-che-zuu. Worse, they can't conceive of the fact that we won't submit to a male-dominated society. We've been at war, off-and-on, for the last couple thousand years."  
  
"That sucks!" Hiroshi Ikuo, Daisuke's best friend, snorts.  
  
"You're right, 'Roshi, it does," Ranko snorts. "When my sisters, Tou-san and I came on the scene, Xian was leading a party to recover several younger girls who weren't well-trained to defend themselves from Musk raiders. We rescued the girls, took care of the Musk, then escorted them back to the village."  
  
"For us, it was love at first sight," Shampoo beams. "Since they did us such a service, I petitioned my great-grandmother, one of the elders of our tribe, to pursue a formal engagement with Ranko, thus solidifying a blood-bond between the Nyu-che-zuu and the Saotome Clan. It was only proper...and I was more than happy to see this through. Hence, here I am."  
  
"Congratulations, Ranko-san. Will Shampoo-san desire to come to school when she settles down?" the teacher probes.  
  
"It's only right, Sensei," Shampoo smiles, hugging Ranko's arm. "After all, I don't want someone stealing MY Airen!"  
  
Laughter fills the room. "Welcome to Japan, Shampoo-san," the teacher nods, then gazes on Ukyou. "Now, Ukyou-san, how is it you came to know Ranma-san?"  
  
"That...is a little more tragic than what happened between Ko-chan and Xian-chan, Sensei," Ukyou sighs.  
  
She and Ranma explain what happened. Disbelief crosses many faces. Shampoo, Akane and Kikuko shake their heads in sympathy. At the end, Yuka speaks for them all. "If you don't mind my saying so, Ranma...your father is a total IDIOT!!!" she exclaims.  
  
"Unfortunately...but given that he did raise me and train me in the Art, I can...still find it within myself to forgive him...AS LONG AS he strives positively to reform himself. That, Yuka, I intend to see happen," Ranma gazes on Ukyou. "My mom, on hearing what happened, has declared that Ukyou's engagement to me has as much validity as the engagement between my family and the Tendous."  
  
"Ranma and I, as I said yesterday, discussed the possibility of ending or modifying what goes on between us in case any sort of complication sets in," Akane sighs. "Ukyou-san, in that respect, is a very profound complication...no offense."  
  
"None taken. By the way, my friends call me U-chan."  
  
"Hai...U-chan!"  
  
"Okay...A-chan," Ukyou winks, eliciting grins from the people around them, then she sighs. "I have to also admit that my own father is being...very bull-headed about this. When Ran-chan and her dad left, he felt so ashamed at me that he forced me to become a boy legally. For the last few years, I've attended all-boys schools, behaved and acted as a boy, all just because I wasn't supposedly enough of a girl to hang onto my fiancee."  
  
"Didn't he know Ranma was a girl, too?!" Sayuri wonders.  
  
"No. We both believed the other was a boy...and neither Oyaji or Kuonji-san tried to correct us on the matter," Ranma shrugs.  
  
"Besides, the body's just window-dressing. It's the heart and soul that matter more to me," Ukyou adds, gazing on Ranma. "And I do say I'm very attracted to the soul of the person beside me."  
  
"Pretty brave," Daisuke hums.  
  
"Way to go, Ukyou-san!" a girl cheers.  
  
More laughter...then the door slams open. "***NEVER!!!!!!***"  
  
Eyes turn to see a shuddering Tatewaki Kunou glaring at them. "So what brings you here, Kunou-baka?!" Akane wonders.  
  
The kendoist quakes, his outrage boiling around him. "I have heard enough to realize this...PERVERSION of such heavenly angels cannot continue!!!" he points accusingly at the women standing by the teacher's desk. "No doubt, some dark sorcerer has bewitched these fair damsels into such evil!!! Forgive me, maidens, for this I must do this if I am to save you!!! HAVE AT THEE!!!!"  
  
Everyone scatters as Kunou lunges at Ranko. Sensing a threat to her fiancee, Shampoo whips out a bonbori to clock the idiot in the skull, but the speed and raw power of the kendoist's strike slashes through Shampoo's weapon, causing the mace-like head to drop HARD on the warrior's skull! Shampoo yelps as she slumps to the floor. Ranko ducks aside as Ranma grabs Kunou's blade and flips the kendoist through an open window to soar into the yard!  
  
"Get out of here, you clueless moron!!!" Ranma snaps.  
  
"Xian!!" Ranko drops down to help Shampoo sit up, then checks her head for bleeding. "Daijobu?!"  
  
"Oooh...Stick Boy's pretty good..."  
  
Ranko tenses. "Don't tell me you have to...?!"  
  
"Baka!" Shampoo playfully swats Ranko's nose. "I gave YOU the Kiss of Marriage, remember?!"  
  
"I'll avenge you!" Ranko kisses Shampoo, then races for the window, leaping out.  
  
"Ranko, this is THREE FLOORS UP!!!" Yuka screams.  
  
Everyone races to the windows to watch Ranko flip around to land gracefully five metres from Kunou, now trying to recover from Ranma flipping him out of the classroom. As the kendoist surges to his feet, the middle Saotome daughter tenses. "Bastard, you just waltzed over the line!!" she snarls. "You attack me, you attack my sisters, you totally disregard an HONOURABLE engagement and THEN you attack my fiancee and future sister-in-law atop that?!! Time for you to get a REAL taste of what it means to piss me off!!!"  
  
"I will...free you, fair damsel!!" Kunou lunges. "HYAAA!!!! TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!!!!"  
  
Ranko ducks clear of the storm of thrusts from Kunou's bokan stick, swerving around him. To the watches above, it seems as if the energy of Kunou's attack was being absorbed into a miasmic cloud of greyish-blue energy around Ranko. "He NEVER did that to me before!!!" Akane exclaims, her whole body shuddering. "That JERK!!!! Who the hell does he think he is, anyway?!!"  
  
"The B.A.O.C...Big Asshole On Campus, A-chan," Ukyou snorts. "Trust me. You encounter idiots like this everywhere!"  
  
Laughter fills the room; they could certainly agree to THAT! "What exactly is Ranko-san doing?" the teacher wonders.  
  
"Looks like Stick Boy's gonna be dancing to the wind!" Shampoo smiles. "This is Airen's attack, Sensei. Using her enemy's ki against him. Even my hibaa-chan says it's really good!"  
  
The dancing continues as energy builds around Ranko. Over Kunou's shouting, the people above hear Ranko continuing to taunt him, mocking his skills, family, sense of reality...all to goad him into throwing off more ki through his bokan stick. Finally, Ranko draws the ki together, then flips back, locking on target.  
  
"***FUUYOU NO GEKIDO!!!!!!***"  
  
The bolt of ki slams into Kunou, creating a cancelling effect whose backlash rips through the kendoist like a scythe. While it does little physical damage, the Wind Dance Fury literally punches through all the various ki and chi elements which give Tatewaki Kunou the power to be what he is. Kunou is smashed away from the impact point, spiralling dizzily like an out-of-control top as his mind and body try to reforge links and restore him to normal.  
  
Ranko relaxes, then walks over to trip him up. "Timber!"  
  
Down he goes! Ranko sighs, then walks away...before a round of applause echoes anew from Furinkan High School. She turns to see that dozens of students, even many teachers, were cheering her on, then laughing, bows to them before heading in.  
  
In their class, Ranma and Akane exchange a look. "When it comes to ki manipulation, Ko-chan is the best," the former smiles.  
  
"I'd say so!" the latter whoops...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	4. Engagements

The Tendou dojo, that evening...  
  
"Welcome, Kuonji-san. You've been expected here."  
  
"Arigatou, Tendou-san," Ukyou bows her head, then gazes on the people within the living room as her empathic senses analyze them.  
  
Genma was openly trembling on seeing the poor girl he wronged so long ago. No doubt she was here for blood. Nodoka was doing as all mothers did on seeing a child's fiancee; appraising her potential. Souun, Akane's father, was burdened with heavy pain; no doubt, the loss of his wife still hung heavily over him. There also flashed some small hope that his agreement with Genma could be fulfilled despite the odds. Kasumi, the elder Tendou daughter, seemed very pleasant, the perfect matriarch for this house. Nabiki seemed concerned about how Ukyou's being here would affect her family, especially her younger sister. Kikuko was just happy that Ukyou was here, no longer wanting to seek revenge on her adopted family. Ranko wasn't here; she was busy helping Shampoo settle down in a guest house nearby. And Akane...! Blessed Mother Ocean, it was no wonder that Ranma was taken away by the youngest Tendou!  
  
"First, I'd like to say that, save for the matter between myself and Ran-chan's father, I bear no ill-will toward anyone within this household," Ukyou clears her throat. "I now am aware of the agreement between the Saotomes and the Tendous. From what I can sense, a rapport is forming between the various members of both families. I wish to do nothing to disrupt that.  
  
"Saying that, I must also state that if I wish to pursue one of your daughters, ma'am, I choose Ranma," she then stares at Nodoka. "What memories I have of your family are centred around her...and it was on her that I locked myself onto when I began my quest years ago. I don't know either Ranko or Kikuko, though I would gladly like to know them as my friends and future in-laws. Further, Ranko is bound to Xian-pu...and sensing the love between them, it would be criminal on my part to hurt that. Seeing as how there're many ways to resolve this to everyone's satisfaction, may...we hold off on any final decisions before we get the chance to know each other much better...as one family?"  
  
Nodoka blinks, then nods. "Agreed, Ukyou-san."  
  
"Ukyou, you've actually had experience in running your own okonomiyaki shop for some time now," Nabiki muses. "Will you do the same here in Nerima?"  
  
"Yes, I will," Ukyou nods. "As soon as I find a nice place to rent out for 'Okonomiyaki Ucchan,' I'll begin. I would like to live here if I may. I've lived in very cramped apartments beforehand and they just don't appeal to me anymore."  
  
"Certainly...though given that we only have one guest room available..." Souun muses.  
  
"Perhaps we can make some renovations to build new guest rooms, Otou-san?" Kasumi muses.  
  
"I agree," Nodoka nods. "Or even better, a guest house. This will allow Ukyou and Shampoo to have their own space here...not to mention Ranma and Ranko, of course. Also, it'll give Nabiki and Akane their own rooms back. Once my husband and I retire to our home, Kikuko can have the guest room to herself."  
  
"We'd all have to chip in for that," Ranma muses. "The funds our sisters in Oshika sent us can only go so far, Okaa-san."  
  
"True, plus there are funds I have available...and I'm sure Ukyou and Shampoo can contribute as well," Nodoka nods. "Even if there're no marriage ties between us...except the one between Ranko and Shampoo...we are a family and should act as one."  
  
"Agreed," the younger women nod.  
  
Genma and Souun exchange looks, their concern quite plain. What of Ranma and Akane? "B-but...!"  
  
"Further, maybe the engagement between Ranma and I should be ended now," Akane hums. "This'll give U-chan an equal chance with me to pursue Ranma's heart, Saotome-basan."  
  
"That seems very fair, Akane," Nodoka nods.  
  
"B-but...!" the men stammer.  
  
"I can agree to that. U-chan?" Ranma stares at Ukyou.  
  
"I'm for it if it doesn't bother A-chan," Ukyou nods.  
  
"B-b-but...!!"  
  
"It's agreed, then," Nodoka beams.  
  
The men continue to stammer...as the door opens. "Tadaima (I'm here)!" Ranko calls out. "Kaa-san, Xian-pu's with me!"  
  
"Konban wa, Shampoo-san. Welcome to Japan!" Nodoka beams on seeing the beautiful Nyuchezuu warrior now holding Ranko's hand.  
  
As conversation picks up, people ignore the stammering "B-but..." emitting from Genma and Souun...  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net and Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART FOUR - ENGAGEMENTS  
  
Later...  
  
"Are you sure staying here's okay for you tonight, U-chan?"  
  
Ukyou glances around the dojo, smiling. A nice place all around. "Yeah, it's okay, A-chan," she nods. "If we're going through with the guest house idea, let's set it up in the corner of the yard, with a covered walkway leading to the dojo itself. I'd like to train here as much as all of you will."  
  
"Aiya, it'll look nice!" Shampoo muses. Ranma and Ranko were there also. "You sure Mother-in-law won't mind, Airen?"  
  
"Hai, koibito-chan (Lover). Besides, it takes away control of our lives from Ji-san and Tou-san. No offense, Akane, but we have to keep moving to ensure Ji-san and Tou-san don't do anything to foul it up," Ranko nods, gazing at Akane. "They're REALLY set in their ways. If they had their way, Nee-chan and you'd be married tomorrow REGARDLESS of what U-chan's been through."  
  
"That's true," Akane sighs, then she exchanges a look with Shampoo before staring at the three Nendo-kata with them. "Is there something you want to tell us?"  
  
"Hai," Ranma sighs. "There're...some things about Nendo-kata biology you both should understand before we press on with this. Would you mind if we talked about that?"  
  
Akane and Shampoo nod as they make a circle in the middle of the dojo floor. "First of all, I'd like to...propose something which could allow both A-chan and I to get something out of this given what I've sensed of you so far, A-chan," Ukyou sighs.  
  
"What?" Akane urges.  
  
"A-chan, forgive me...do you love Ran-chan?"  
  
Silence. Akane blinks, surprised at the bluntness of Ukyou's question...yet not finding herself embarrassed or upset about it, either. After all, honesty was a profound virtue among Ranma's and Ukyou's people. She should respect that, shouldn't she? "Hai, I do love Ranma, U-chan. It's still quite...undefined, I guess, but the idea of staying with her for the rest of my life...it doesn't scare me at all. I can see it happening; in fact, I've seen it happening since I came to better understand who and what she is."  
  
"Okay," Ukyou nods. "Ran-chan, do you love A-chan?"  
  
"Of course I do," Ranma nods. "Akane is everything I could ever ask for in a life-mate."  
  
"Ranma!!" Akane's cheeks flame.  
  
"Alright, then," U-chan nods. "A-chan, I care for Ran-chan very much. I'm happy to be with her again and I want it to work out between her and I. At the same time...I can see myself loving you as well. Ran-chan's right, you know; you are everything people like us could ask for in a mate. Therefore...I propose this: we three," she points to herself, then Ranma, then Akane, "...will form a family. I really don't see myself going back to my dad given what he's done to me over the last few years. I can see myself becoming 'Ukyou Saotome.' Can you see yourself, if you really do care for Ran-chan...becoming 'Akane Saotome?'"  
  
"Yes, I do," Akane nods. "Do you mean a wife-mistress idea?"  
  
"Iie," Ukyou shakes her head. "There's no equality in that when you get down to it...though from what I sense of your mom, Ran-chan, she'd definitely approve. I won't treat either of my life-mates that way. What I propose is that we, to the public, become adopted sisters. We acknowledge Ran-chan's parents as our own. Within our household, we do as we choose. At the same time, to ensure your family carries on, one of Ran-chan's sisters does the opposite and becomes a Tendou. This will ensure both families can continue, but honour the spirit of the agreement between your father and Ran-chan's father. Atop that, it restores my honour."  
  
Akane blinks, then nods. "Uhn!" She then stares at Ranko and Shampoo. "What about you two?"  
  
"There are no rivals for either of our hearts, so it's a straightforward bonding," Ranko gently grasps Shampoo's hand.  
  
"What about Mousse?" Shampoo scowls.  
  
Ranko tenses, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "If that half-blind, love-starved jerk even THINKS of trying to break us up, Xian, I'll drop-kick him to the Moon!"  
  
"Who's Mousse?" Akane wonders.  
  
"Lao Mu-tzu," Ranma sighs. "Xian's version of Kunou, Akane. Good martial artist, specializing in hidden weapons style, but he's so insanely obsessed about Xian, it's funny. He and Ko-chan haven't got along at all since Ko-chan and Xian fell in love."  
  
"My sympathies, Shampoo!" Akane shudders.  
  
"Many thanks, Akane," Shampoo groans.  
  
"I guess so," Ukyou sighs. "Alright, then. Since you seem to want to bond with us, you have to understand a basic fact of our biology...and how it leads to mating and children. Among the Great School, a psi-bond...a telepathic link between two people...is what marks a 'married' couple. But when that bond occurs, it creates a subtle physical change in our menstrual cycle."  
  
"In effect, our cycle will shift over a couple months to match with yours," Ranko adds. "Once that occurs and we sense when you become most fertile...our drive to mate will hit us like a tidal wave. You can guarantee we'll be having kids right after."  
  
"That's why we've wanted all along to wait until we're totally ready before we solidify things," Ranma finishes. "Oyaji and Tendou-san don't understand this. I think, deep down, they won't care much, regardless that it's a very important thing concerning making this work right. They want a bond based on words. We're talking about a bonding of minds, hearts and bodies. When you sit back and think about it, it's a big difference."  
  
Akane and Shampoo hum, then exchange a look before the latter stares at Ranko. "Airen...how soon do you want to bond?"  
  
"I'll bond with you here and now...but given that you're not a Nendo-kata, I'll be the one bearing our first child most likely," Ranko muses. "I do like to finish high school at least. I've no idea how the school board'll react if I become pregnant."  
  
"Okay, I can live with that. After all, we should make the marriage really special!" Shampoo beams.  
  
"I'll go for that!" Ranko grips her hand.  
  
"What happens in a three-way bond?" Akane wonders.  
  
"Well, one of us...I was thinking of you...would be the 'base' for the others to bond to," Ranma hums. "Once the psi-bond forms, our bodies will match to your cycle...and then..." she flusters.  
  
"Oooh, that's gonna be fun!" Ukyou whistles.  
  
Everyone laughs...  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning...  
  
"Good, A-chan! You're showing loads of promise!!"  
  
Souun hums, pausing at the front porch as he watches Akane twirl around Ukyou's giant combat spatula..."Spatula-sama" was the name Nabiki gave it, in reflection of her nickname for Akane's ki-mallet...in a graceful arc. Personally, he didn't approve of weapons...in Musabetsu Kakutou-ryuu philosophy, weapons restricted the fighter in melee...but clearly, the okonomiyaki cook knew what she was doing. Further, Ukyou uses the same positive encouragement Ranma used when training his daughter to keep her spirits up.  
  
A resigned sigh escapes him. By all rights, he should be teaching Akane; as her father, it was his duty and responsibility, especially if he wanted Akane to carry on the Tendou-ryuu.  
  
Still, after Kimiko died...then...then...!  
  
"Ohayo, Ji-san," Ranko steps onto the porch, having hopped over the fence from staying overnight with Shampoo.  
  
"Ohayo, Ranko," Souun nods. "How are you and Shampoo-san getting along?"  
  
"What do you think?" Ranko titters delightedly, then heads up to Nabiki's room to get her things.  
  
"My, everything seems so nice today, doesn't it, Otou-san?" Kasumi muses, laying out some food.  
  
Souun nods. "Yes, it does...though still..."  
  
"I know, Otou-san," Kasumi smiles knowingly. "It isn't what you and Saotome-jisan planned at the start. We can't follow that anymore given how much things've changed. I applaud everyone's decision to keep matters fluid until things become clearer. It'll save a lot of problems in the future. That'll make this work."  
  
"I hope so," Souun muses.  
  
"Minna-san! Breakfast!!" Kasumi calls out.  
  
Cries of "Hai!" echo from various places in the house...  
  
* * *  
  
"Thanks for loaning me a spare uniform, Ran-chan. Lucky thing we're the same size."  
  
"No problem, U-chan," Ranma smiles as she and Akane run on the fence, Ukyou staying beside them at ground level. Nabiki and Kikuko had gone on ahead. Ranko was taking the day off to help Shampoo settle in, plus help Nodoka arrange a place for Ukyou to set up her restaurant. "We better get in contact with the SCAA just in case; let them know you're here," the elder Saotome child adds. "You'll probably have an easier time of it than me."  
  
"Don't bet on it, Ran-chan. If my old man finds out that I'm back to being a girl full-time...and that this time, the government won't bend to his wishes...he'll really hit the roof!" Ukyou sighs.  
  
"That's awful, the way he treats you!" Akane asserts. "Why couldn't he understand it wasn't your fault?!"  
  
"My dad's like Ran-chan's old man, A-chan. He's got a pretty unique value system...eh?!"  
  
Ukyou slows down, her eyes glowing. Ranma and Akane slow down, then turn...as a skeletal hand lands on the cook's shoulder. "YYEEEK!!!!" Ukyou spins around, Spatula-sama out...then she stops on seeing the smiling, bespectacled doctor holding up the skeleton now behind her. "Oh, jeez...!" she stammers.  
  
"Oh, Toofuu-sensei, ohayo," Akane smiles as she and Ranma hop off the fence. "Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Not really, Akane," Toofuu Ono hums, then gazes at Ranma and Ukyou. "I heard from some of Nabiki's friends that some people were staying at your house over the next while. Just curious, in case something happens."  
  
The teenagers consider his words, then smile. "Gomen," Akane apologizes, then does the introductions.  
  
"Yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you), Sensei," Ukyou bows. "Sorry about me trying to brain you with this," she hefts Spatula-sama. "Do you normally sneak up on people like that?"  
  
"Not really, especially since I can sense how good both you and Ranma-san are," Toofuu asserts. "Though I must confess, I never thought I would meet a pair of aliens before."  
  
Blink, blink. "You can tell?" Ranma wonders.  
  
"Hai. Your chi patterns're almost like a normal human's, but the differences are pretty glaring for someone who can take real notice of it," the martial artist/chiropractor muses.  
  
Ranma hums. "Well, even with the amount of precautions we can take, the chances are there we could be hurt. It's only wise to have a healer's services close by. Alright, then, Sensei. After school, my sisters, U-chan and I'll come by and we'll fill you in on the whole story. Fair enough?"  
  
"More than fair enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to get back to my clinic."  
  
With that, he heads off. "He's damn good," Ukyou muses.  
  
"That he is," Ranma nods. "Then again, it's partially our fault. We were concentrating so much on Akane, we didn't notice him until he touched you with the skeleton."  
  
"What did you expect, Ran-chan?" Ukyou winks, giving Akane a sly stare. "A-chan IS such a distraction!"  
  
Steam billows from the younger Tendou's neck. "You guys...!"  
  
Heartwarming laughter fills the air as they race for school. Watching them go, Toofuu sighs, a bemused smile crossing his face. "To believe I'm going to be close to a group of Nendo-kata," he clicks his tongue, hoisting Betty up. "Good thing Kay-san told me about this happening. I hope Akane realizes what she's in for."  
  
With that, he heads off...  
  
* * *  
  
"Akane Tendou, come to my arms...!"  
  
*WHOMP!!!!*  
  
Kunou drops face-first into the ground at Akane's feet. She then walks over the insensate kendoist. "Don't you get the hint, you moron?!" she glares at him. "Stay out of my life!"  
  
With that, she heads towards the front doors, Ranma and Ukyou staying close to her. "Hey, A-chan, you okay?" the latter asks, sensing a twinge of trepidation in her new friend.  
  
"I dunno..." Akane stares at her hand, then she gazes on Ranma. "Are you doing something to me?"  
  
"Eh?!" Ranma blinks. "What are you talking about, Akane?"  
  
"The way I've been fighting since you came," Akane wonders. "I just find it so easy to tap into my skills now. I mean...the day you came, it was really hard for me to wear through them all. The day after, I ploughed through them..."  
  
"And you assume I have something to do with it," Ranma hums. "Relax, Akane. One, I wouldn't insult you like that. I know you like to deal with your problems; that says a lot about you. But instead of looking for external sources for your power..." she taps her chest, "...look right there. That never lies to you."  
  
"She's right, A-chan," Ukyou smiles, waving them inside as they slip off their shoes and bloomers, slipping on uwabaki (indoor shoes) before heading to class. "Look, there are two ways of training people. Using positive encouragement or negative encouragement. Most martial art senseis believe negative encouragement's better since it forces you to endure psychological hardship, increasing your resistance to bad vibes and things like that. It's great for allowing you to deal with harsh situations. Actually, it's not a bad idea, but if you ask me, there's a much better way to go about it. That's what we're doing."  
  
"You see, if it was the old me teaching you, I'd be piling on all sorts of degrading insults to piss you off so badly, you'd want to do ANYTHING to show me up," Ranma adds. "That's good in some ways, but you've already got a problem with your anger, Akane. I don't want to make it worse. I..." she pauses.  
  
"Ran-chan's worried that you'd never be happy anymore if you give in too much to your rage," Ukyou supplies.  
  
"Domo, U-chan."  
  
Akane blinks, then sighs. "Arigatou. I appreciate it. But can you give me the honest truth?" she stops, gazing at them. "Do I really have the chance to be as good as both of you?"  
  
"Being just human and not a Nendo-kata who Crossed Over?" Ranma hums, scanning around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "In time, Akane, you WILL be as good as I was before Jusenkyou. But to have the special abilities U-chan and I possess now..."  
  
"There's only one way to get that right away, A-chan," Ukyou warns. "Would you do it?"  
  
Akane blinks, then her eyes widen as it dawns on her what Ranma and Ukyou are alluding to. The Crossing Over. She then takes a deep breath. "I don't know."  
  
"Our point," Ukyou nods as they head on to class. "A-chan, let's get you up to snuff as best as we can in THIS body," she taps Akane's shoulder, "...and if you like it enough, we'll keep you in it. If you bear our children, you'll end up inheriting our powers through the child's DNA mixing with yours via the umbilical cord while she's in the womb, so you'll evolve to our level."  
  
"Soo ka," Akane sighs. "'S funny, isn't it?"  
  
"Nani?" Ranma wonders.  
  
"We're talking about children and starting families like we would be discussing our homework or a book we read. If this was before I found out about your other sides, I'd be embarrassed as all get out, not to mention pretty angry that we'd be breaching such a private subject. But it doesn't bother me so much..."  
  
"Well, we don't have as many taboos about reproduction as you do. To us, sex and reproduction are vital to the continuation of the Great School and we acknowledge it at that," Ranma wryly muses. "Then again, sometimes, it's as much a surprise to me when I think about it. Before Jusenkyou, I had NO idea whatsoever about sex. Oyaji never told me a thing. I shudder to think what I'd go through as a guy with the way some of our classmates behave."  
  
"Ugh, that's true," Akane winces.  
  
"Akane Tendou!"  
  
Akane stops, then sighs, turning to see a bruised Tatewaki Kunou standing nearby. The determination in the kendoist's eyes is as fierce as ever. Ranma and Ukyou tense, ready to jump the creep if they had to. "Is there a problem, Kunou?" Akane frostily asks.  
  
"That's 'Kunou-sempai'...!"  
  
"And as I said in my speech two days ago, you will NEVER earn such respect from me!" Akane snaps. "I believe Nabiki sold you a tape of it. Are you hard of hearing or what?!"  
  
"Enough!" Kunou snarls. "I must now do everything to save you from these demonically-possessed maidens accompanying you now!" he draws his bokan stick, then charges.  
  
Ukyou is on him first, grabbing him by the stick and sending him through an open window to splash-land in the pool three floors down! "You jackass, we've got no time for you!!!" she snarls.  
  
"The words 'give up' clearly are not in his language!" Ranma shakes her head. "Depressing."  
  
Akane hums. Ukyou and Ranma gaze on her. "The lady has an idea, I believe," Ukyou crosses her arms. "Let's hear it, A-chan."  
  
"You two want to play a mind-game on that idiot?" Akane hums.  
  
"I'd go for it," Ranma muses. "What's your idea?"  
  
* * *  
  
Joketsuzoku, that moment...  
  
"Elder Kun-lon. May I speak with you a moment?"  
  
Cologne blinks, then smiles. "Elder Lo-e," she nods to the youngest of the Council of Elderwomen. Both now meet in the older matriarch's home. "What may I do for you today?"  
  
"I fear my grand-nephew has done himself and your great-granddaughter a grave dishonour," Aloe sighs. "As soon as he learned that Xian-pu had been given permission to travel to Japan to unite with Ranko Saotome, he took off after her."  
  
Cologne jolts, then her eyes narrow. "Lo-e, Mu-tzu may not fully understand what Ranko will do to him if he tries to force himself on my great-granddaughter. Nendo-kata are vicious if they perceive a threat to their chosen life-mates."  
  
"Agreed. Further, Mu-tzu's actions have even come to very much disgrace...Those Who Suffer In Silence," she lowers her voice on mentioning the unofficial protest group, mostly male, who wanted the challenge laws amended out of a fear of spousal abuse becoming rampant among the Nyu-che-zuu. Traditional members of the tribe looked on people like Mousse with barely-veiled disgust. "I've always supported them. Their ideas are very forward, all for giving us better home and family lives while not trying to weaken us when we deal with outsiders. But, much to my shock and disgrace, Mu-tzu clearly looks on Xian-pu as his prized possession. None of Those Who Suffer in Silence would condone that. It is, I fear, as bad as Ranko warned when she was staying with us."  
  
Cologne hums, clicking her tongue. "It was hard for my great-granddaughter-in-law to admit that to me, Lo-e. She knew what Mu-tzu could face if his...overt aggressiveness towards Xian-pu became known. We don't have to be too drastic, though."  
  
"The punishment is clear concerning those who emotionally enslave...or desire to emotionally enslave...their mates, Kun-lon. Aloe shudders. He must face Jusenkyou."  
  
"True. But thanks to Ranko's sister Kikuko, there is a very specific way we can apply the punishment."  
  
Aloe blinks, then her eyes widen in surprised understanding. "But the Nyanniichuan is gone, Kun-lon. The Wanderer that merged with Kikuko Saotome saw to it..."  
  
"You forget their reverence for their own mother goddess, Lo-e," Cologne smirks. "The magic of Nyanniichuan was not destroyed forever. With my help, Kikuko made a way to ensure that if someone has need of that particular spring's power, it can be used...and left it under my safe-keeping," she reaches into the top of her cane, opening a secret hatch to draw out a bright blue stone, glowing with power. "Even more so, as long as this is with me, the power of Nyanniichuan remains out of the Musk's hands. Yes, there are other female-drown springs in Jusenkyou, but this was the most prized of all. I think the farther we get this away from that moron Herb, the better for us all. Agreed?"  
  
"Agreed," Aloe nods...  
  
* * *  
  
Nerima, before lunch...  
  
Kunou shudders as he storms up to the classroom bearing his beloved Akane Tendou and the four hapless maidens who seemed intent on following their enchanter's dark plot and turning Akane from the joys of a man's...his own, with due modesty...love and affections. Clearly, he had to press until he found the devilish warlock who placed the Saotome sisters and Ukyou Kuonji under his spell...then smite him as only a samurai of his calibre could. It upset him that Ranma, Ranko, Kikuko and Ukyou had to suffer. But as surely as Heaven's vengeance was always forthcoming with the assuredness of the dawn, he would make them understand his noble intentions.  
  
Once they comprehended that, they would all, even Akane, shower him with their undying gratitude.  
  
As he only deserved.  
  
Arriving on the third floor, he stops as the door to class 1-F opens, revealing Akane and Ranma. "There you are, fair maidens!" he calls out, racing at them with arms wide...  
  
...then screams out in shock as Ranma draws Akane into her arms and bestows a VERY loving kiss on the latter's lips. The kendoist's brain seems to short-circuit for a second as he watches Ranma and Akane continue their lip-to-lip conversation, then with a scream, he lunges with his bokan stick. "I WILL SAVE YOU BOTH!!!!" he raises it high, aiming for Ranma's head...  
  
...then as it comes down, it smashes into SOMETHING as dense as the hardest diamond, the bokan stick splintering as he stumbles forward. His head slams into that invisible SOMETHING, knocking him to the floor! As the kendoist tries to recover, Ranma's index finger makes a flecking gesture...as Kunou finds himself slammed DOWN the hallway towards the far stairwell!! "***WHAT DARK SORCERY IS THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS...?!?!?!***" he wails as he slams into a wall, then stumbles down the stairs.  
  
Akane and Ranma slowly part, the latter opening her eyes to allow the former to gaze on them glowing. "Don't you just hate it when someone tries to interrupt?" Akane muses.  
  
Ranma's eyes return to normal. "All the time," she hums as she walks Akane back into the classroom. "Sensei, we're back."  
  
"The problem was dealt with, Ranma-san?" the teacher wonders.  
  
"Hai..."  
  
* * *  
  
Lunchtime...  
  
"U-chan, there you are!!"  
  
Ukyou looks up from her grill, then smiles. "Hey, Ko-chan, Xian-chan, take a load off your feet! What's the news?!"  
  
"We found a nice place in Block Six for you to rent," Ranko hands over a brochure. "Turns out, there used to be an okonomiyaki shop there, but the owner closed down a year ago. All the stoves and everything else are in place, just waiting for you to move in."  
  
Ukyou flips through the brochure with one hand as the other flips the okonomiyaki onto Kikuko's plate. "Sounds nice. Rental charge isn't bad. How'd it look to you and your mom, Ko-chan?"  
  
"It seemed okay. 'Biki gave me a number of a good property appraiser. He'll check it out this afternoon on the sly, then call in. Once we get the skinny, we can move in anytime after."  
  
"Even more," Shampoo adds. "Mother-in-law found a contractor to put the new guest house in. They'll start work today and we can all move in by tomorrow."  
  
Ukyou blinks. "That's fast!"  
  
"Mother-in-law said that these people are used to very quick rebuilding jobs," Shampoo augments. "They work for the Mendou Clan over in Tomobiki. The Mendous are friends with my tribe's allies in this country, the Moroboshis."  
  
"Yeah, I know. The first Nendo-kata school to come here is led by Ataru Moroboshi's sister Nokoko," Ukyou nods. "Looks like things are clicking in pretty well...eh?"  
  
Whoops, gasps and cat-calls turn everyone's attention to the cafeteria doorway, where Ranma and Akane were again getting their lips re-acquainted. To everyone's delight, a wailing Kunou was screaming for the girls to awaken from the dark sorcery forcing them in such an unholy union. Try as the kendoist might to pry them apart, they wouldn't budge. "The dork just has no idea what he's up against," Ukyou clicks her tongue.  
  
"Hmmm...shall we?" Ranko stares at her fiancee.  
  
"I won't mind, Airen!" Shampoo smiles.  
  
Their lips interlock as nearby students cheer them on, Ukyou and Kikuko laughing. A glance to another corner sees Nabiki and her friends raking in money from what bets people made concerning when Ranma and Ranko would become publicly affectionate with their fiancees. A pained scream then echoes as Kunou races over to yank Ranko and Shampoo apart. "I will save you, fair ladies...!!!"  
  
*WHANG!!!!*  
  
"Who's gonna save us from you, jackass?!" Ukyou sighs as she returns to her grill, Kunou dropping to the floor.  
  
Ranma and Akane walk up, then the former turns to the latter. "Shall I or do you want to do this?"  
  
"Oh, please, Ranma-sama, may I?" Akane flashes him a "cute as a million kittens" look.  
  
"Alright."  
  
Akane grabs Kunou, then places him in a position where she could belt him out of the cafeteria without wrecking something. Drawing Mallet-sama, she positions herself, then notions for people to get clear. "FORE!!!!" she screams as she winds up, then sends the insensate kendoist soaring into the early afternoon sky!  
  
"How far?!" Kikuko wonders.  
  
"Hopefully, Tokyo Bay, if not the Pacific!" Akane stows her mallet, then sniffs on smelling Ukyou's cooking. "Oh, U-chan, I hope you got a couple of those ready! We're hungry!!"  
  
"Just a sec', A-chan...eh?!"  
  
Ukyou tenses, squeezing her eyes shut so that nearby onlookers don't see her eyes glow. "What is it?" Ranko wonders, then feels herself tense as an unwanted feeling surges through her. "Oh, no...!" she grits her teeth. "What's HE doing here?!"  
  
"Who?!" Akane wonders.  
  
"Someone who wants Ko-chan's blood, sugar...and Xian-chan in bed to do the wild thing ASAP!" Ukyou sneers...  
  
...as a section of wall explodes, dousing a dozen students with shattered concrete and dust. Shampoo spins around, then gasps on seeing the white-robed figure standing there. "Oh, no...!"  
  
"XIAN-PU, THERE YOU ARE!!!!" he bellows in Mandarin.  
  
"Um...is that...?" Akane hums.  
  
"Mousse," Ranma nods.  
  
Leaping inside, the raven-haired master of Hidden Weapons lunges over. "Xian-pu, come to my arms!!" he swamps someone with an over-affectionate embrace.  
  
"PERVERT!!!!" Sayuri screams out as she whips out her own mallet and smashes Mousse into the floor.  
  
Everyone blinks surprisedly. "Shampoo, he sounded like he was after you," Hiroshi stares at Shampoo. "Who is this guy?"  
  
"A pain in the you-know-what!" Shampoo draws out a bonbori, then walks over. "What are you doing here, Mousse?! I thought I left you behind back in Joketsuzoku!"  
  
Mousse leaps up, then tries another glomp...before Shampoo's bonbori slams him still. "Shampoo...!" he moans, dropping to the floor again, a big lump on his head.  
  
"Idiot!" Shampoo flips to Mandarin. "What are you doing here, Mu-tzu?! You weren't permitted to leave the village!"  
  
Mousse moans, then staggers back up. "I'm doing what I must, Xian-pu!" he glares lovingly...though Shampoo is quick to sense the flash of obsessed possessiveness, of lust that no longer acknowledged propriety, in his eyes...at her. "I'm saving you from that alien whore who's been trying to steal you from me!"  
  
Shampoo shudders. "I suggest you apologize now, Mu-tzu. Ranko's standing right behind you."  
  
Mousse blinks, then jolts on feeling the heat of an awesome battle aura warm him from behind. Shuddering, he turns, squinting to see his foe...as Ranko's fist connects. "ASSHOLE, HANDS OFF MY FIANCEE!!!! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO PUT UP TO YOU!!!!"  
  
"Xian-pu...!" Mousse wails as he flies through an open window out of the cafeteria.  
  
Whoops echo through the eyewitnesses as Ranko races for the door. "Stay here!!! I'm gonna kill that creep!!"  
  
Hands grab her by the legs, nearly knocking her down. "No, fair maiden! Don't give in...!!" Kunou moans.  
  
"HANDS OFF!!!!" Ranko drop-kicks him into the ceiling, then races off to get her hands on Mousse.  
  
"M-maiden...!" escapes Kunou's lips as gravity pulls him down from the ceiling, he flopping onto a table to collapse it.  
  
"How'd he recover so fast?!!" Akane demands.  
  
The others sigh. "Geez, and I thought Tsubasa-baka was obsessed?!" Ukyou shudders, then turns back to her grill. "That guy deserves to get thrown into the loony bin!"  
  
"Airen, wait for me!" Shampoo screams as she races after her fiancee. "I can handle that idiot...!!"  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse growls as Ranko charges towards him, preparing himself. He knew she was an inordinately well-trained martial artist, so beating her would be difficult. Then again, there were other ways to deal with this alien seductress, ways that Ranko couldn't so easily defeat. All he had to do was play his cards right...and Shampoo would be his at last, Ranko cast to hell as she deserved for interfering in Mousse's quest! As it always should have been.  
  
"FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!!!!" he screams.  
  
Ranko jolts as she senses his ki send forth a very large object her way, then her fists flash. "***KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!!!!!***" she screams out.  
  
Mousse cries out as the machine-gun speed blows shatter his weapons, then yelps as Ranko dives in for an uppercut to send him stumbling into a nearby tree. "Pathetic as always, Blind Boy!" she dances back. "When are you ever going to learn that'll NEVER work on someone like me?!!"  
  
"Maybe!" Mousse snaps, sending a storm of knives her way.  
  
Ranko ducks the attack, focusing her chi to start absorbing the ki energy Mousse was throwing off. "You're afraid of me!" the hidden weapons master snarls. "No wonder you fled when I tried to challenge you for Xian-pu's hand!!"  
  
"You are SO pathetically stupid!" Ranko weaves, inwardly smiling at his lack of control. Time to coax it to a boil, then let him have a taste of REAL pain. No wonder Koga Shinura, the last master of the Unseen Light...Ranko met and befriended the blind martial artist in her brief visit to Joketsuzoku...never wanted to teach this moron a REAL Art. "You're an insult to your whole tribe, Mu-tzu!! Maybe it's time I did something about it!"  
  
"Witch!!!" he fires off a storm of shuriken.  
  
Another weave. "Slowpoke!!" Ranko flips over him, then delivers a swift kick in the back to send him stumbling. "I bet your grand-aunt's so upset at you right now, she'll GLADLY let you face Jusenkyou for forcing yourself over MY Airen!!"  
  
"XIAN-PU IS NOT YOURS!!!!"  
  
"Says who?!!"  
  
Mousse stops, staring at Shampoo. "Xian-pu!!"  
  
"You're too late, Mu-tzu! I already gave myself TOTALLY to Airen!! Body AND soul!" Shampoo icily grins. "Very soon, Great-grandmother become great-great-grandmother!"  
  
Mousse jolts as that message sinks in, then with a scream, he lunges at Ranko. "YOU DARE DEFLOWER MY XIAN-PU, ALIEN WHORE?!?! DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE...!!!!!!"  
  
Weapons of all descriptions lash out at the middle Saotome daughter, causing her to dance and weave as she continues to draw in Mousse's expended ki energy. The mist forms around her as she tries to focus herself, get enough to blow the wind out of this moron's sails. Finally, sensing she had enough, she backflips clear. "Time to dance!" she cups her hands on target.  
  
"HAVE AT THEE, MONSTER!!!!"  
  
"***FUUYOU NO GEKIDO!!!!***"  
  
Mousse jolts as Ranko's ki blast lashes out, smashing into some idiot kendoist's chest, sending him spiralling out of the way. "Aw, CRAP!!!!" Ranko screams, realizing she just blew off a good Wind Dance Fury on the WRONG idiot, then she yelps as Mousse closes the range, his chi focused and ready. "Shit...!!"  
  
"Now I have you!!! FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!!!!"  
  
Another white child's potty lashes out, belting Ranko in the cheek before she could react, sending her flying into a tree trunk. The impact causes the branches to quiver...and an earthen jar to drop out, flipping around as water douses her! "DID IT!!!!" Mousse laughs...then blinks as steam and chi energy seem to mask Ranko for a moment. "Wait a minute...!"  
  
"What did you do?!!" Shampoo demands, racing up to grab Mousse by his robe collar.  
  
"I gave that alien water-bitch a taste of her own medicine, Xian-pu!" Mousse crows triumphantly, gently grasping her hand. "Water from Jusenkyou! Let's see how this water-worshipping whore likes having a curse!!"  
  
Shampoo blinks, her eyes widening...then she jolts on hearing a confused but heartwarming voice. "Hey, what's going on here...?"  
  
Both spin around as the steam evaporates...and Ranko stands, soaked but unharmed! "That's not right!!!" Mousse screams, faltering. "You're supposed to be cursed, you alien witch!!!"  
  
"Pity you forgot that we are BORN of the ocean, Lao Mu-tzu. Magic of THAT nature NEVER works on one of us!"  
  
Shampoo and Mousse spin around to see a tall, raven-haired woman standing five metres away, brown eyes locked on the weapons master. She is dressed in an orange tunic, black form-fitting trousers with leather shoes, an orange tiger-striped bandanna wrapped around her head. A tattoo, something like a red tidal wave, is etched on her left cheek. Beside her now stands someone who appears to be her own twin brother, this one without a tattoo and with a red bamboo-like umbrella in hand, now staring lethal daggers at Mousse. "Who are you?!" he demands.  
  
"So there you've been hiding, huh?!" the male of the twins smirks in heavily accented Mandarin. "Running around making more people's lives miserable just because they won't kowtow to you and your sick dreams?! I may not like the Saotomes too much, but your clanswoman deserves much better than the likes of you!"  
  
Shampoo blinks, then her eyes widen. Say, wasn't he...?  
  
"And who are you to interrupt me?!" Mousse snarls.  
  
"Let's see how good your memory is, Mu-tzu," the other man smirks. "A little over a month ago, you were busy trying to molest the lady beside you...while both of you were in the valley of Jusenkyou! Remember that?!"  
  
Mousse jolts. "I was NOT molesting my love..."  
  
"Didn't look that way to me, jerk...not to mention her," the other man nods at Shampoo. "In fact, I'd say you were stalking her...just like I said it a month ago when you caught me by surprise and knocked me into one of the springs!! Thanks to you, you half-blind slime, I've seen HELL!!! Now you're trying to do the same thing to someone who's earned Xian's respect and love?! Time for you to get a taste of your own medicine!!!"  
  
"We'll see about that!! FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!!!!"  
  
The other man opens his umbrella, then does a sweep with it, the ultra-sharp edge ripping through Mousse's weapons like they were confetti. "Like playing with sharp toys, huh?!" the other smiles, flashing cute fangs. "Let's see if you like MINE, Blind Boy!!" he snaps up four of his bandannas, then lets them fly.  
  
Mousse screams as the bandannas, now as hard as solid steel, lash through his clothes, knocking him back several paces. Ranko and Shampoo back off as the newly-arrived warrior slips his umbrella onto his backpack, then concentrates his chi. To the onlookers' surprise, a green ball of energy forms between his palms, much brighter than even Ranko's ki attack. As the weapons master staggers back to his feet, his attacker locks on target.  
  
"***SHISHI HOUKOUDAN!!!!!!***"  
  
Mousse bellows helplessly as the bolt slams into his chest, the impact sending him flying into the early afternoon sky!! With that, the other warrior growls, moving to follow...then jolts as a hand touches his shoulder. "Don't, Onii-san. If you race off like that, I'll loose track of you. You don't want that, do you?"  
  
He shudders, then sighs, relaxing himself. "Hai, Ryooko."  
  
Shampoo and Ranko stare at them, then the latter notices the tattoo on Ryooko's cheek. "Elder..." she gasps, then looking around to see that the crowd of onlookers were far enough away, she approaches her. "Elder, what are you doing here?!"  
  
Ryooko stares on her. "Ukyou summoned me to meet up with Ryouga-niisan and help him deal with some of his problems, Ranko-chan. It's alright. He understands."  
  
Ryouga blinks, then stares at Ranko. "Ranma...?"  
  
"Iie, Ranma-neechan's my sister...EX-brother, that is!" Ranko smiles. "But I do know of you, Ryouga! Looking good!!"  
  
"I...ah...th-thanks!" Ryouga flusters.  
  
"Oi, Ryouga!! Catch!!"  
  
Ryouga tenses, then sees something fly at him. He snares it out of the air, then blinks. "Curry bread?"  
  
"Heads up!!"  
  
More packages fly at him. Ryouga snares them all, calling out their contents. In a moment, the wandering martial artist has a pile of bread packages in hand. He then notices the person who tossed them at him: a smiling red-brown haired woman with blue eyes he'd last seen on a boy with black hair in a pigtail.  
  
"Ranma...?"  
  
"Owed you," Ranma winks at him.  
  
Ryouga stares at her, then the bread in his hands...before a bemused chuckle escapes him. In a minute, both Ranma and Ryouga are laughing, Ranko and Ryooko joining in. Shampoo still looks confused. "Airen, I don't understand. What's going on between your sister and this fellow?" she gazes on Ranko.  
  
"Oh, it's a long story," Ranko flusters, then gazes on the woman beside Ryouga. "Ryooko Hibiki, right? C'mon in so we can let Ryouga here have something to eat and you can meet the others. We got a lot to catch up on."  
  
"So we do," Ryooko muses...  
  
* * *  
  
"Oooh...where am I...?"  
  
Mousse moans as he slowly picks himself up from the hole he had made in someone's roof, shaking his head. "Gyaa...never thought I'd run into the Lost Boy here..." he grumbles, brushing himself off...then he senses a shadow over him. "Eh...?"  
  
He turns to see a very irate woman with a large broom hovering nearby, her intent plain. "And who's going to pay for the hole you made in my roof?!" she snarls.  
  
Mousse screams...  
  
* * *  
  
"A bread duel?!!"  
  
Everyone relaxes in the cafeteria. It was study hall for Akane's class, so they decided to enjoy the time in a more private place. Ryouga was now snacking on the bread Ranma had given him. "Hai, it was," Ranma blushes, staring at Akane. "Ryouga always had problems trying to get to the confectionary stand in time."  
  
"By the time I got there, there was usually one piece of food left," Ryouga sighs, inwardly envious of Ranma and the fact that his would-be fiancee was so beautiful. "Ranma always grabbed it. I...never took it very well, so..."  
  
"Eventually, Ryouga challenged me to a duel over the whole matter. I was supposed to meet him at the lot behind his house," Ranma sighs, then gazes on her friend/rival. "Ryouga, I did wait for three days, you know."  
  
"And I was busy jaunting around half of Japan," Ryouga sighs resignedly. "By the time I got there, you were gone. So I was off after you, calling you a coward for ducking out of the fight."  
  
"You don't seem so bothered by it now," Ranko muses.  
  
"Well, thank Ukyou and Ryooko-neesan for that," Ryouga smiles at his adopted sister. "I met Ukyou just before she Crossed Over. She was just as obsessed about getting a piece of you as I was, Ranma. But when she Crossed Over..." a whistle escapes him. "The change was something to behold, I'll tell you that."  
  
"U-chan, you've never told us what were the circumstances that made you Cross Over," Ranko stares at her. "What happened?"  
  
"This was because of a jerk who could probably teach Mousse and Kunou lessons about fanatic loyalty to someone who doesn't love them back," Ukyou groans. "Tsubasa Kurenai. He's a master of disguise who got into crossdressing because I was dressing as a boy at the time. He thought it was a way to win me over. All it did in all honesty was just make me sick to my stomach."  
  
"He felt I was trying to 'steal' HIS Ukyou-sama," Ryouga adds. "So he surprised me one night. I lost control, cut loose with a Shishi Houkoudan (Roaring Lion Bullet), then..."  
  
"I got caught in the explosion," Ukyou winces. "Lucky for me, my Wanderer half was close by."  
  
"I'd say!" Ranma breathes out.  
  
"Can someone take over for me, please?" Kikuko sighs.  
  
"Relax, sis, I'll handle it," Ranko smiles, then closes her eyes as she concentrates.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ryouga wonders.  
  
"A second-year student with an obsession towards me, Tatewaki Kunou...who now thinks Ranma, her sisters and U-chan are possessed by demons who turned them into lesbians...has been trying to attack us to help them 'be free' of their lesbianism since they came in," Akane explains. "Is he still by the main doors, Ranko?"  
  
"Hai, still there. Screaming that some sorcerer is trying to stave the noble samurai from carrying out his honourable duties!" Ranko smirks. "Oh, Nabiki's coming in."  
  
"Hello, everyone!" Nabiki walks in through a side door, then turns to the glass main doors, trying not to laugh as Kunou kept bashing at Ranko's telekinetic force field. "Geez, this guy's hopeless!" she shakes her head, then stares at the Hibiki twins. "So who are these two lovely people?"  
  
"Meet my other friend from childhood, Nabiki; Ryouga Hibiki," Ranma smiles. "And beside him is his newly-adopted sister, Ryooko Hibiki, Dreamweaver and Elder of the School of Sages."  
  
Nabiki blinks, then her eyes widen, gazing on Ryooko. "You're of the School of Sages?" She knew that the Sages were seen as the quasi-official "government" of the Great School. "What on Earth are you doing here, then?" she stammers.  
  
"As we of the Great School like to say, Nabiki-san, there's a little Wanderer in all of us," Ryooko smiles. "I...wanted to get away from the Mother Ocean and do some exploring. That's when Ukyou-chan's summons asking for someone to help Ryouga-niisan overcome his problems came in. Here I am!"  
  
"I said I'd watch out for Ryouga, 'Biki. Nendo-kata never go back on their word," Ukyou adds.  
  
"Um...I've got a question," Shampoo hums.  
  
"What is it, Xian?" Ranma wonders.  
  
"What's a 'Dreamweaver?'"  
  
"Ah, I better demonstrate it instead of simply describing it," Ryooko hums, rising. "Ranko-chan, would you let that fellow outside in? Maybe I can help him overcome his delusions and seek the right person he'd deserve as a mate."  
  
"Hai," Ranko nods, relaxing.  
  
A *crash!* of shattered glass draws everyone's attention to the main cafeteria doors as Kunou surges in. "HAH!!!" he hoists his bokan stick high. "I, Tatewaki Kunou, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan, have proven my skill over the unseen monster who has twisted innocent maidens so!!! Now, I shall claim my reward!!"  
  
He lunges forward...only to get Ryouga's foot into his face. "Hold it, buddy!" the wanderer snarls. "Who the hell are you to say that some sorcerer's been messing around with my friends?!"  
  
Kunou staggers back, then glares at Ryouga. "That hurt, you know. How dare you speak to me so disrespectfully, foul knave?!"  
  
"The only disrespect I see is yours, loudmouth!" Ryouga snarls. "You butted in on a private duel between my friend Ranko Saotome and that asshole Mousse. From what I saw of her Fuuyou no Gekido, it's a damn wonder she didn't kill you!"  
  
The kendoist pauses. "It seems that, despite your obviously low birth, you are showing signs of properly acknowledging your betters," he hums. "Do you seek to challenge me?"  
  
"Buster, you're more arrogant than anyone I've EVER met...and lower than the dirt under my shoes!" Ryouga sneers. "Maybe it's time for you to see the world as it REALLY is...right, Onee-san?"  
  
"Agreed," Ryooko rises, her eyes suddenly glowing.  
  
"Wha...?" Kunou jolts, then blinks as soft sniffling is heard from behind him. "Who...?"  
  
"Mariko-san, it's alright!"  
  
Everyone gasps as Kunou turns around...to see a woman in a cheerleader's outfit on her knees, weeping uncontrollably. A friend in the same uniform kneels beside her supportively. The kendoist blinks, then pales. "Mariko-san..."  
  
"It's alright, Mariko-san!" the other cheerleader soothes. "He just hasn't noticed you yet, that's all...!"  
  
"It's not true...T-R-U-E!!!" Mariko chants, trying to be calm. "Kunou-san hates...H-A-T-E-S...me! All he has eyes...E-Y-E-S...for is that Tendou...T-E-N-D-O-U...girl!"  
  
Watching this, the kendoist in question tries to shake his head. "No...she...she can't...!" he stammers.  
  
"She can, Tatewaki-san...and she does."  
  
The image before Kunou fades, then he spins around to gaze at Ryooko. "So...you are the one...?" he snarls.  
  
"Who just showed you the path to the one who truly loves you, Tatewaki-san," Ryooko calmly replies.  
  
That stops him short. "Wh-what...?"  
  
"Everyone in the Cosmic Chain of Life, Tatewaki-san, has a kindred soul linked to them," Ryooko lightly smiles. "You believe a little red string ties your little finger to the one special person you are destined to become life-mates with. Mariko Konjou is the one destined for you, Tatewaki Kunou. I have the gift to understand a person's dreams and destiny. Know that Mariko watches you from afar. Know that every time you act to pursue those who do not desire to have anything with you...you drive a knife straight into the heart of someone who does. If you drive it too far...then you will have an innocent woman's blood on your hand. What then, my friend, will your honour mean if that happens?"  
  
Kunou wordlessly withdraws. The others watch him go, then stare at Ryooko. "Ryooko-san, did you hypnotize him?" Akane asks.  
  
"No, Akane," Nabiki shakes her head. "All Ryooko really did was reach out telepathically to seek the person who loves Kunou-chan the most, then revealed it to him. It's like getting splashed with cold water to wake you up or shake you back to reality. I guess Kunou-chan's gonna have some things to think of for the next while. That was pretty intense."  
  
Ryooko nods. "He flees from reality, believing it too harsh for him to endure. I simply showed him that reality isn't so bad when he gives it a chance. At least, it'll make him think about his actions from now on. To this point, he believes he is totally innocent of any 'wrongdoing,' that no matter what other people say, he can stay the course he set for himself. Now he knows his actions could potentially have grave consequences to an innocent person...and I doubt it'll sit very well with him."  
  
"Well, he's been asking for it one way or another," Ranma crosses her arms. "Besides, that Mariko girl seems pretty nice. And if she's willing to tolerate someone like him..."  
  
"More peace for us," Akane finishes.  
  
Everyone laughs...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	5. Dreamweavers

"Your local healer is a very interesting person."  
  
"Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Ranma muses as the Saotomes, Ukyou, Akane and the Hibikis head towards the Tendou dojo, bags of newly-purchased clothing in hand. "But he's good at what he does. As long as that isn't threatened in any way, it's okay with me."  
  
"It's nice that Kasumi-neesan has a potentially good mate in Toofuu-sensei," Kikuko hums. "Even if he does have that...ahem, *problem*...with controlling himself around her."  
  
The others grin. While they had been with Toofuu Ono after school, Kasumi had come by the clinic returning some books to the local chiropractor...and bring the Saotome sisters' bank cards to ensure Genma kept his hands off them. Once there, everyone had been treated to a demonstration of the poor doctor's love-madness, something Ryooko had to use her powers to stop before someone got hurt. Once Toofuu calmed down (and thank Ryooko profusely for making him think straight for ONCE with Kasumi present), he spent a busy hour examining the five Nendo-kata who would be taking residence in Nerima. Once that was done, everyone decided to go do some shopping, especially to help Ukyou and Ryooko settle in.  
  
From what the Nendo-kata could sense from the eldest Tendou daughter, Genma and Souun were starting to lose all patience towards the children's "procrastination" over the engagement. It may come to the point where they might do ANYTHING to force Ranma and Akane...for some reason, neither wanted to look seriously at the other children...to marry. The only way to solve that, everyone concluded, was to keep hammering back, force the fathers to give up. Personally, Ranma was tempted to threaten to locate Happousai and free the grandmaster from his mountainside prison; once facing the monster who had dominated a lot of their early lives, Genma and Souun would clam up immediately.  
  
It just might actually be worth the added aggravation...  
  
The group steps through the gate. "Minna-san, tadaima!!" Kikuko calls out, then looks left...before gasping. "Sugoi!!!"  
  
Everyone looks. Sitting in the corner of the yard was a traditional guest house. Its base was concrete...no doubt, the floor had a Korean ondol (floor pipe heating) system (the rest of the Tendou home was so outfitted, to the Saotomes' surprise)...with wood-and-brick walls and a tiled roof. A covered open-air walkway connected it to the dojo. Walking over, they hop onto the porch, looking in to see Kasumi and Nodoka moving about, getting things set up. "Okaa-san, Kasumi-neesan, we're home!" Kikuko calls out.  
  
"Oh, there you are!" Nodoka smiles. "You're a little late, minna-san...oh, who're your friends?" she notices the Hibikis.  
  
Everyone sits down as introductions are made. "I thought this place wasn't supposed to be ready until tomorrow, Saotome-basan," Ukyou looks around. "What happened?"  
  
"Well, the gentlemen in the construction crew, on hearing that they were actually BUILDING something new instead of RE-BUILDING something that was wrecked, were so happy to finally do something positive, they finished it all off in five hours," Nodoka smiles. "I'll make sure they get paid extra for it, of course."  
  
"Yeah, can't argue with this," Ranma hums, then stares at the Hibikis. "You guys wanna stay here for a while?"  
  
"Well, I've got really nothing to do...except dream of ways to eviscerate Mousse for what he did!" Ryouga shrugs.  
  
"Who is Mousse?!" Nodoka blinks surprisedly.  
  
"My so-called rival for Xian, Kaa-san," Ranko sighs, gently gripping Shampoo's hand. "The guy is convinced that Xian is his life-mate and no one else's...so when Xian and I fell in love, he naturally became my enemy. I fought with him today at school that Ryouga-kun finished off because of outside interference."  
  
"I see," Nodoka hums. "I thank you very much for aiding my daughter in such a situation, Hibiki-san...but may I ask why is it you find this fellow offensive?"  
  
Ryouga sighs. "It's best I show it to you, Saotome-san. Can I have a glass of cold water, please?"  
  
"Hai," Kasumi walks to the kitchenette.  
  
"You're cursed?" Akane gapes.  
  
"Hai, Akane-san, I am...and I have Xian-pu's so-called 'true love' to blame for that," Ryouga snarls, then nods as Kasumi hands the cup to Ryooko. "Go for it, Nee-san."  
  
Ryooko upends the cup...as Ryouga vanishes, clothes deflating into a pile. A second later, the shirt twitches as a black shape emerges, then bounds into Ryooko's lap. "Oh, kawaii!" Akane gasps as the animal relaxes on his sister's knee. "A piglet!!"  
  
"He may look cute, A-chan, but think of what the whole world would look like to him now?" Ukyou muses.  
  
Akane blinks, then her eyes widen understandingly. "Soo ka!"  
  
"Oh, Ryouga..." Ranma sighs, then jolts as a shocked gasp of recognition escapes Kikuko. "What?!" she stares on her sister.  
  
The youngest Saotome is gazing wide-eyed in horror at the piglet in Ryooko's lap, then her eyes glow. "No...it is...oh, no...!" she stammers, then holds her hands out.  
  
The piglet seems dazed for a second before shocked recognition flashes in his eyes. "BWEEE!!!" he screams as he lands in Kikuko's hands, snuggling close to her. "Bwee!! Bwee!! Bwiip! Bweee!!"  
  
"Hush, hush, Little One! I understand!!" Kikuko sobs, gently kissing his forehead. "I understand..."  
  
Ryooko and Ukyou sigh. "Is this the reason you asked for a sage to come here, Ukyou-chan?" the former wonders.  
  
"Yes, Elder," the latter nods. "I was afraid to tell him before I had proof positive. He's depressed enough as he is now. If this news sunk in, it might've killed them both."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
The others blink. "I...I don't understand," Nodoka gazes on the dreamweaver. "Ryooko-san, what is wrong with Ryouga-san and my daughter? Why are they acting as if they know each other...?"  
  
"Because in a way, they do, Nodoka-san...or rather, should I say that Kikuko-chan knows the spirit of the piglet who drowned in Heitouenniichuan...the spring of drowned piglet...twelve centuries ago. After all, was not Kikuko-chan the spirit of the girl who drowned in Nyanniichuan?" Ryooko returns her stare.  
  
"Poor Ryouga..." Akane gasps. "Does he know?"  
  
"I couldn't tell him until we had some way to sense that the spirit was there, A-chan," Ukyou sighs. "As Ran-chan can confirm, Ryouga-kun's one of the most depressed guys you'll ever meet. I've tried to lighten him up as best as I can, as has Ryoo-chan. But could you imagine what he'll think when he learns that the spirit of an innocent animal is living INSIDE him thanks to Jusenkyou?"  
  
Akane shudders. "Soo ka..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net and Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART FIVE - DREAMWEAVERS  
  
Later...  
  
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME, UKYOU?!?!?!"  
  
"I WAS TRYING TO KEEP YOU ALIVE AND HAPPY, YOU JACKASS!!!! WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS DOING?!?!?!"  
  
"***ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!!!!***"  
  
Ukyou and Ryouga jolt, then stare warily at Ryooko. All three were in the living room of the guest house. With Nodoka and Kasumi pitching in, Ranma, Ranko, Akane and Shampoo were moving things around so they could make this their real home. To say that the wandering martial artist isn't pleased to hear Ukyou's and Ryooko's revelation is putting it lightly. Taking a deep breath, he sighs, gazing at the cook. "I...Ukyou, you should've said something..."  
  
"With you capable of throwing off something like a Shishi Houkoudan, something that could wreck a city at full power?" Ukyou gapes, then sighs. "Ryouga-kun, I am SO sorry. No insult was meant and I sure as hell don't find any sort of amusement in this! Atop that, I couldn't really sense if he was in there inside you. As far as I can figure, the magic of Jusenkyou was hazing up my powers. That's why I contacted Ryoo-chan to get her here. Her powers are a lot more sensitive to these things than mine."  
  
Ryouga stares at his sister. "How soon did you know?"  
  
"I actually couldn't confirm it until Kikuko-chan recognized him," Ryooko sighs. "Clearly, the magic of Jusenkyou is even more powerful than Ukyou-chan suspected. But given who she is and where she comes from, Kikuko-chan has an advantage over me in this case."  
  
Silence as the wanderer considers that, then he sits down. "This is not good at all. Damn it, it's bad enough that I got this curse in the first place...but to know that a poor, helpless animal's very SOUL is locked inside me?!" A pause, then, "How can I get him out of there?" he stares at Ryooko.  
  
"There's only one way to do that which wouldn't bring harm to you," Ryooko asserts. "I can summon a Wanderer here, then the Little One has to decide how he wants to go about this and who he will template himself after for the Crossing Over. We will need Kikuko-chan to help the Little One understand; there is a natural rapport within them." A pause, then, "I am afraid, though, this will not change the fact that you are cursed, Nii-san. I'm sorry."  
  
Ryouga blinks, then nods. "I can understand that. I wish I could talk to him, though. Show him I don't mean him any harm."  
  
"Agreed," Ryooko nods. "In fact, let's speak to him now." Kikuko, will you join us, please?  
  
A moment later, Kikuko steps inside. "Is there a problem, Ryooko-chan? Oh, Ryouga-san, are you alright?"  
  
"Hai, Kikuko-san, I'm okay," Ryouga smiles.  
  
"Kikuko, please link with the Little One inside Nii-san so we can communicate with him and Nii-san can hear," Ryooko instructs.  
  
"Hai," Kikuko relaxes, then her eyes glow.  
  
Ryouga blinks, then calms down as he feels something, as if he was in the midst of taking a very warm bath, surge through him. He felt this on occasion when he was close to his sister and Ukyou; it was as much a natural aura for the Nendo-kata as a martial artist's battle aura. Kikuko's face then contorts into a mask of wary fear mixed with growing resentment. "Why...?" s/he wonders.  
  
"Eh?" Ryouga jolts.  
  
"Why you hurt me? Why you want kill me?"  
  
"He's never known you were drawn within him when he was cursed by Jusenkyou, Little One," Ryooko soothes. "My brother is a very kind person when it comes to animals. The...forced transformation into the form you once possessed before Jusenkyou is what angers him. All he wants is to be rid of the body. But now that you are within him, he wants to help you regain what Kikuko has regained."  
  
The semi-possessed Kikuko blinks, then smiles. "Kikuko-friend free bad water place. Can me be free, too?"  
  
"Yes, you will be free," Ukyou nods. "We will bring one of our sisters here. You...can't go back to being a piglet again, I'm afraid, though. Because of your link to Ryouga-kun, you're evolving way past what normal pigs are."  
  
"Me...like Kikuko-friend?" Kikuko wonders.  
  
"Is that what you want?" Ryooko asks.  
  
A pause, then, "Yes."  
  
Ryouga blinks, then smiles. "Looks like I'm getting another sister out of this deal," he chuckles embarrassingly.  
  
Kikuko stares at him, then sighs. "Me...angry...but still like Ryouga-brother. Me...like this much."  
  
The others nod...  
  
* * *  
  
Later...  
  
"Oh, happy day!!! Ranma and Akane are sleeping together in the same room!! They'll be married before long!!!"  
  
Nodoka sighs, crossing her arms. Her husband and Souun were dancing a happy jig around the living room table. Nearby, Nabiki rolls her eyes, flashing Nodoka a "They'll NEVER get this!" look. Kasumi was now in the kitchen preparing dinner.  
  
"No, they won't be married, Souun-san," Nodoka relaxes.  
  
Both men stop. "Nodoka!!!" Genma screams.  
  
"Ranma, Akane and Ukyou have come up with a better idea."  
  
"What does Ukyou have to do with it?!!"  
  
Nodoka's eyes narrow. "You seem to have a very short memory, husband...or have you totally forgotten the fact that you left that poor girl on the road ALONE all those years ago?!"  
  
"It doesn't matter! Ranma and Akane MUST marry!!"  
  
"Who says they have to marry when Akane can be adopted into the family?" Nodoka crosses her arms.  
  
Silence. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" Souun wails, tears showering the room. "Akane hates us!!! She hates...!!!"  
  
*WHOMP!!*  
  
Mallet-sama is now impaled on Souun's head. "Don't be afraid to smack him into line when he gets like this, Saotome-basan!" Akane sighs as she, Ranma and Ukyou step inside. "It's the only way to keep him under some sort of control!"  
  
"So I see," Nodoka sighs, then calls out. "Minna-san!!! Come down here, please!! We have an announcement to make!"  
  
Soon enough, the living room is filled. Genma jerks on seeing Ryouga, who sends the elder martial artist a very icy smile. "It's good to see you again, Panda-san. Getting enough to eat? Maybe you should try bamboo sometimes. Real pandas eat that, after all."  
  
"Heh!" Genma stammers. "G-good to see y-you, too, b-boy...!"  
  
"Ryouga-san, what's wrong?" Kikuko wonders.  
  
"I'll explain later," Ryouga assures her.  
  
Nodoka clears her throat. "Thank you, Ryouga-san. Now, thanks to Ukyou-san's forward thinking, we have with us tonight a member of the Nendo-kata School of Sages. While I hardly profess to be any expert in the ways and traditions of the Great School, that one so high as Elder Ryooko is here to witness this gives me great hope for everyone here tonight. In fact, if my daughter was not exaggerating concerning your abilities, Elder Ryooko, you could actually foretell if something is meant to be?"  
  
"Such as life-bondings. Yes, Nodoka-san, it's true...and I'll be happy to help see this through," Ryooko nods. "Now, shall we hear what you came up with last night, Akane-san?"  
  
"Arigatou, Ryooko-san," Akane nods. "While we were discussing how the arrangements between the Saotome and Tendou families will clash with the separate arrangement between Ranma and the Kuonji family, U-chan came up with an idea. She proposed that both she and I become adopted members of the Saotome family. From this day on, neither U-chan or I will be 'Ukyou Kuonji' and 'Akane Tendou'...but 'Ukyou Saotome' and 'Akane Saotome.'"  
  
"Conversely, one of Ran-chan's sisters would do the opposite," Ukyou adds. "She would become a member of the Tendou family. This will ensure the continuation of both families. This would honour, in spirit, the agreement between the two families. I'm tired of upholding the honour of the Kuonji family given the way my father has tried to force me to seek vengeance. I want a stable family I can call my own...and I've now found it in Ran-chan and A-chan."  
  
"Let me be that one."  
  
Eyes lock on Kikuko. "Kikuko-chan...!" Kasumi gasps.  
  
"It's alright, Kasumi-neesan. I like you very much...but as a friend and adopted sister, not as a future life-mate. I look on Nabiki-neesan and Akane-san the same way. Besides, how could you hope to net a certain someone with me standing in the way?"  
  
Kasumi blushes. "T-true..."  
  
With that, Kikuko clears her throat. "Otou-san, Okaa-san, Souun-tousan...as of this day forth, I am no longer Kikuko Saotome. I am Kikuko Tendou. Know I do this to honour the agreement binding our families together...but through adoption, not marriage."  
  
"You have my blessings, Kikuko-chan. No matter what your name, you are still my daughter and I love you very much," Nodoka smiles, then stares at Genma and Souun. "Well?" she challenges.  
  
Souun blinks, then gazes on Kikuko. "Surely..."  
  
"Otou-san!" she gently scolds.  
  
He jerks, then sighs. Despite their pushing things he didn't fully understand, Souun had to admit that they were trying to help see this through given the circumstances. With that, he turns to his daughters. "Do you approve of this?"  
  
"I will not object at all, Tou-san," Kasumi smiles.  
  
"Welcome to the family, Kikuko-imoutochan!" Nabiki nods.  
  
Souun then smiles. "Done!" he nods.  
  
Everyone whoops as Kikuko, Kasumi and Nabiki share a group hug, then Ranma, Ranko and Akane join in. "Aiya!! This is so wonderful, isn't it?" Shampoo beams, clapping her hands.  
  
"Let's wait until the next part!" Ukyou warns.  
  
With that, Akane clears her throat. "Tou-san, Genma-tousan, Nodoka-kaasan...in honour of the agreement between our clans...and because I can say with a clear heart that I love her...I now seek a life-mating with Ranma Saotome," she gently grasps Ranma's hand. "However, since we are women and since the laws of this country don't recognize same-sex marriages, I declare that in public, I will acknowledge myself as Ranma's sibling." A pause. "From this day forth, Akane Tendou is no more. To the day I die, I am Akane Saotome. Know that I do this in the name of love...and that I will never abandon the family of my birth...or adoption."  
  
Souun blinks, then shudders, tears spilling down his eyes. "Oh, happy day! She's admitted that she loves Ranma!!"  
  
"Do I have your blessings, Tou-san?" Akane probes.  
  
"Yes!! Yes!!! YES!!!!"  
  
Niagara Falls. Everyone else tries to ignore him, though Genma and Ryouga can't avoid transforming from the spray of water. "Welcome to the family, Akane-chan...atashi no musume-chan (my daughter)!" Nodoka opens her arms, allowing Akane to embrace her. "If only Kimiko-san was here to see this happen!"  
  
"Way to go, sis!" Nabiki dabs at her eyes.  
  
Damn, why was SHE feeling so sappy about this?!  
  
With that, Akane pulls back, then turns to swamp Ranma with a very warm kiss. "They love each other!!!" Souun wails. "Oh, what a happy day this is!!! The agreement is fulfilled!!!"  
  
Akane and Ranma pull apart, then gaze on Ukyou. The chef clears her throat. "Nine years ago, I legally ceased to be a girl because of the selfish actions of the father of someone I loved," she begins. "At first, I was hurt, then angry because of the sense of betrayal Ran-chan's departure left within me. To properly re-earn my place in my family, I drove myself to seek vengeance on Ran-chan and Genma...and by doing so, nearly came to destroy my life and my happiness. All in the name of vengeance.  
  
"The day I Crossed Over was an awakening for me," she adds. "I realized I had allowed my father's sense of shame and his value system...which drove me away from my mother, who died while I was gone...to wreck my childhood, not to mention warp my self-identity. From then on, I decided vengeance would not rule my life anymore. I would seek my answers in a peaceful and positive manner, try to rebuild what I once had with Ran-chan...and make it better.  
  
"Minna, I've found my answers. While I can't forgive the pain Ran-chan's father caused me, I can't, in all conscience, hold the child responsible for the parent's crime. At the same time, I am happy that Ran-chan has found someone she loves...and who can love her in return. For I now find myself loving both of them...and I want them...to have the most prominent place of all in my life."  
  
Ukyou then stares at Akane and Ranma. "Ranma, Akane...my human half has been without a family for nine years. My Nendo-kata half was Wanderer for five hundred years. May this lonely Wanderer seek warmth and love within your hearth...and your hearts?"  
  
Ranma and Akane smile, then grasp the cook's hand. "Ukyou, my friend...you are a Wanderer no more," the latter smiles.  
  
"Be welcome here. Know we will stand forever at your side," the former adds.  
  
"As I will by you," Ukyou then stares at Nodoka. "Ukyou Kuonji is dead, cast forever into the Black Ocean. Nodoka-kaasan, I ask for your blessings to be welcome in your family...as hearth-mate and life-mate to Ranma and Akane...as Ukyou Saotome."  
  
"You have my blessings...musume-chan," Nodoka nods.  
  
Ukyou smiles. "Arigatou...Okaa-san," she nods, then opens her arms to draw Ranma and Akane in.  
  
"Oh, they're so lovely together!" Kikuko sniffs.  
  
With that, the three draw apart, then face Ryooko. "Honoured Elder, may we ask our dreams?" Ranma asks as they bow.  
  
Ryooko sighs, then her eyes glow. Ranma, Akane and Ukyou gasp as the dreamweaver's empathic energy flows through them...before images form through their minds...  
  
* * *  
  
A restaurant, Akane at the stove cooking okonomiyaki:  
  
"Is this right, U-chan?"  
  
"Looks good, A-chan! Tastes good, too. Get these to Table Six, Ran-chan!"  
  
"Hai, U-chan, right away...!"  
  
* * *  
  
In the countryside:  
  
"There!! That takes care of this boar!"  
  
"Nice punch, Akane! We stopped it in time before it wrecked that village's crops!!"  
  
"Hey, the kids look hungry! Wanna make some roast pork okonomiyaki for them...?"  
  
* * *  
  
In the dojo:  
  
"Concentrate, musume-chan! You can do it!"  
  
"Watch me, Akane-mama!! HYAAA!!!"  
  
A concrete block is shattered. "By George, I think she's got it, loves! We'll make a real martial artist out of her yet!"  
  
"She's gotta be one, Ran-chan! Look who're her parents!"  
  
"Mou!! Ranma-papa, Ukyou-papa, life isn't just martial arts!"  
  
Two jaws hit the floor. "It ISN'T...?!"  
  
* * *  
  
"...three okay?!"  
  
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...my little girl's sick!!!"  
  
Ranma, Ukyou and Akane recover, then stare at each other before gazing on Ryooko. Silence falls, even Souun's incessant sobbing, as they await Ryooko's answer. The sage takes a deep breath, then sighs. "It seems...this can become reality."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I can learn to cook...?" Akane shudders delightfully.  
  
"Do something positive for once...?" Ukyou wonders.  
  
"Learn more than martial arts...?" Ranma breathes out.  
  
"Yes, to all of you," Ryooko nods. "However, know this well, young ones. A true life-mating, regardless of how many people are involved in it, requires a lot of WORK. There's much give-and-take in situations like this, even more so when there are more than two people in the bonding. You are very wise to avoid psi-bonding until such time as you become comfortable enough with each other. Remember: LISTEN to each other...and listen to EVERYTHING the others say. If there is missed communication verbally, it'll lead to hurt feelings when it shifts to a telepathic bonding."  
  
"Hai," the three nod.  
  
"Further, the fact that Akane is not a Nendo-kata may provide a stumbling block in her quest to be truly equal with both of you," Ryooko warns. "This should be addressed when she is ready for it."  
  
"We've already warned her about it," Ukyou nods.  
  
"Alright," Ryooko nods. "I will avail myself to you three as much as I can...and I will make sure THESE two devil-sharks don't foul it up," she glares at Souun and Genma-panda, who lean back from the dreamweaver's glare. "I can already sense their trying to manipulate things further to see both *their* petty dreams become real regardless of the pain it might cause you...and I will NOT tolerate this while I am here! Nodoka-san, I trust you can keep your husband on a very tight leash when you take him home."  
  
"That, I will do, Ryooko-san," Nodoka nods. "Come, husband. It is time we finally returned home."  
  
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WEDDING?! the panda signs.  
  
"That is NOT a request, husband!" Nodoka hefts the katana.  
  
Genma-panda jolts, sweating, then sheepishly nods as Nodoka walks him upstairs. "Ryooko-san, will you and Ryouga-san want to stay in the dojo for tonight?" Kasumi asks.  
  
"I...if we're no trouble," Ryooko flusters.  
  
"None at all," Kasumi smiles.  
  
Everyone moves to do their own thing, leaving Souun sitting alone at the table, still bawling. The tears finally dry up as he looks around the room confusedly. "What happened? Where did everyone go?" More tears. "Oh, they hate me...!!"  
  
* * *  
  
The guest house, later...  
  
"Why a duck, A-chan?"  
  
Akane smirks, staring at her old bedroom door sign as Ukyou hangs a new sign on their new bedroom door. It is a three-colour Tao crest in blue, gold and red, a Romanji 'R' 'A' and 'U' in each field. The letters are angled in such a way that the sign could be rotated, thus making it as if any of them could be on top. To a Nendo-kata, the sign had elegance. Three parts into one Unity.  
  
"I'm not really sure, but it was something Kaa-san thought was very funny when she gave me this," Akane sighs, placing the old duck sign on a wall nail. Pictures lined all the walls save the side with the window, facing the main courtyard.  
  
Ranma then steps inside, a large futon in her arms. "Here we go," she lays it on the floor, then rolls it out before drawing out some sheets. "This ought to be very comfortable."  
  
"It should be. I'm not used to staying in a place where the floor keeps you warm," Ukyou admits.  
  
"Tou-san trained a little in Korea and he fell in love with the way they keep rooms warmed up," Akane smirks. "It cost him quite a bit to get that installed in the house...and the gas bills are something else at times...but it's worth it."  
  
"I bet it is," Ranma sighs. "I remember learning t'ae-kwon-do and t'aekkyoun in Korea with Oyaji. Some of the food there's really nice, especially kimch'i and pulgogi."  
  
"I remember making a kimch'i okonomiyaki down in Nagasaki," Ukyou muses. "Whoo, was that ever HOT!!"  
  
Laughter fills the room, then all three gaze on the futon. Silence falls as they feel a shiver race through them. "Are we really...ready for this?" Akane wonders.  
  
"Not really," Ranma sighs.  
  
"It was the only real way you could get your dads off your backs, you know," Ukyou warns.  
  
"Hai, that's true," Akane nods, then gazes on the two women beside her. "Everything changes from this point."  
  
"Change is constant, A-chan," Ukyou smiles, then reaches over.  
  
"Oi!!" Akane yelps as she feels Ranma and Ukyou lift her up, then carry her over to the futon. "Put me down, you two!"  
  
"Okay! Down you go!!" Ranma smirks as they slide Akane onto the futon, then lay down beside her as Ukyou draws the covers over them. "Now, let's get real comfy."  
  
Akane shudders, then relaxes as she feels a gentle warmth surge through her. Ranma's and Ukyou's empathic auras reaching out to the one they cared for to make her feel easier. She knew they wouldn't try to seduce her, not this early in their relationship. But they wanted to be close, be the family she deserved. With that, she reaches over to draw them nearer, allow the two Nendo-kata to rest their heads on her arms.  
  
"Together?" Ranma smiles.  
  
"Forever," Ukyou sighs contently.  
  
"For all time," Akane closes her eyes.  
  
Ranma telekinetically cuts out the lights...  
  
* * *  
  
"Airen, they're too quiet."  
  
"Leave them alone, Xian," Ranko sighs, allowing Shampoo to hold her from behind. "Remember, Ranma and Ukyou don't have much experience expressing intimacy with a future life-mate...and from what I sense, Akane's afraid that allowing someone, even a woman, to be intimate with her could leave her vulnerable to assault or a broken heart. Something tells me that there's something in Akane's past...not just her mother's death...that hurt her badly."  
  
"Are Ranma and Ukyou aware of that?" Shampoo wonders.  
  
"Yes, but they won't bring it up unless necessary," Ranko turns to gaze into her fiancee's eyes. "Let Akane make the first move on that part, Xian. All they need is time."  
  
"But what if you and I...?" her voice trails off, a knowing smile crossing her face.  
  
"We grin and bear it, love. Besides, who says we need sex every night we sleep together...eh?!" Ranko jolts.  
  
Her eyes glow. Shampoo sighs. "Mu-tzu?"  
  
"Yep!" Ranko snarls, then reaches out telekinetically...  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse smiles as he slowly approaches the Tendou dojo, using all the skills he could to ensure he wasn't detected. A search of the guest house provided for Shampoo when she first came to Nerima turned up empty. The only other place where his beloved could be staying was with that alien witch Ranko...and from overhearing some students from the school where he had confronted Ranko and Ryouga, the Saotomes were staying with the Tendous.  
  
Stopping by the corner of the property, he leaps up to stand on the roof...and jolts as a concrete block smashes into his face! Dropping to the ground, he groans...then gasps as SOMETHING grabs him and sends him flying into the night! "Xian-pu...!!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Gone?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Good," Shampoo smiles as she and Ranko kiss...  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning...  
  
"Whoo, you HAVE improved!!!"  
  
"You ain't seen nothing yet!!"  
  
Ranma laughs as she dodges and weaves, avoiding Ryouga's power blows and umbrella as they dance around the yard. Given that even as a normal human, Ryouga was almost as powerful as Ranma now, this was much more enjoyable than her morning spar sessions with Genma. Atop that, Ryouga could get the chance to work off the buried anger and depression Ranma sensed was still clawing at his soul.  
  
"Not bad!!" Ranma winds up. "Let's see how tough you are!!!"  
  
She launches into an Amaguriken. Ryouga uses his chest to take the blows, which knock the wind out of him, but then recovers as he trips Ranma up, sending her into the koi pond! The wanderer then stops, his eyes widening. "I don't believe it...!"  
  
Ranma blinks, then laughs. "It's yours, Ryouga...but I'll get you next time!!" she rises, stepping out of the pond.  
  
Ryouga hums, then gazes at her. "You wouldn't hold back...?"  
  
"Physically, of course not. You're lucky I wasn't making use of my other powers or you'd be in real trouble. Besides, that's the name of this exercise, remember?"  
  
He blinks, then laughs. "Y-yeah, th-that's true!"  
  
"Oi, you two! Breakfast!!" Ukyou calls out.  
  
"Hai!" both race into the guest house, where Akane, Ranko, Ryooko and Shampoo were already settling down to eat.  
  
Ranma ducks into the bedroom to dry off and change while Ryouga gets a sample of Ukyou's okonomiyaki. The succulent taste, which he enjoyed when they were travelling together, makes his mouth water for more. As soon as Ranma has joined them, the two start tearing into the pile of fried cakes. The others grin knowingly as they watch Ranma and Ryouga go to work.  
  
"It's no wonder Ranma remembered you with fondness, Ukyou," Shampoo smiles. "I've never seen her eat this much before."  
  
"Ranma doesn't have to worry about her father trying to steal her breakfast," Akane muses.  
  
"Hai, that's true," Ranma sighs. "Sometimes, Oyaji could teach some really important stuff. Other times, he screwed everything up and I ended up paying the price for it."  
  
"The Neko-ken, you mean," Ranko shudders.  
  
"Hai."  
  
Shampoo's jaw drops. "You know the Neko-ken?!!"  
  
"Unfortunately!" Ranma shudders. "Until I Crossed Over, I walked around with this wild paranoia when it came to cats. These days, it's not so bad. My Nendo-kata memories give me an anchor which allow me to fight off the ailurophobia."  
  
"What is the Neko-ken anyway?" Akane wonders.  
  
"It's supposed to make someone invincible by drawing on the fighting power of a cat," Shampoo explains. "However, training to use it kills the trainee...if it doesn't drive you insane first."  
  
"Nee-chan was in the latter category," Ranko adds. "If a cat showed up, Nee-chan'd freak out, trying to get away from it as fast as she could go. If the cat stayed in range, then Ranma's 'Neko' self would take over."  
  
"A split-personality, you mean?" Ryooko hums.  
  
"Hai," Ranma nods. "I'd turn into an anthropomorphic cat, Akane. Once that happened, I couldn't be stopped. I doubt even Xian's great-grandmother could slow me down if I was going full-tilt...and she's the best martial artist I know of, period! Getting me back to normal would be the problem then."  
  
"Soo ka..." Akane shudders. "I take it we're avoiding that."  
  
"Definitely!" Ranma and Ranko assert.  
  
"So how do you fight off your fear now?" Ryooko wonders.  
  
"I radiate as much calm and friendliness as I can," Ranma hums, then her eyes glow. "Oi, there's one now."  
  
She relaxes, closing her eyes. A meow echoes from the door. Eyes turn to see a stray tomcat standing there, looking around as it tried to interpret the odd scents and feelings it was receiving.  
  
"Hi, fella!" Ukyou smiles, holding out a piece of okonomiyaki. "You look a little hungry there. C'mon in."  
  
The cat blinks, then licking his lips, walks over to nibble the offered morsel. He then looks around before his eyes lock on Ranma. The martial artist shudders as fear rips through her mind again, then opens her eyes, allowing her empathy to reach out. The tomcat begins to loudly purr as he leaps onto the table, then onto Ranma's lap as he starts to stroke the girl with his fur.  
  
"He can sense it," Ryooko muses.  
  
"Sense what?" Ryouga wonders.  
  
"Sense the terrible pain and trauma Ranma's endured, Nii-san," his sister replies. "And the echoes of many of his brothers and sisters screaming for food; it is that sound that triggers Ranma's phobia. Doing as she is now, Ranma keeps the trigger suppressed. I shudder to think if Ranma's 'Neko' personality awoke and found it now had Nendo-kata powers to play around with."  
  
"How does the training go?" Akane asks.  
  
"You wrap the trainee in fish sausages or something else that's very edible to a cat...then dunk the trainee into a pit full of starving cats," Shampoo explains.  
  
Akane jolts. "WHAT?!?!"  
  
The tomcat jolts, hissing at Akane's outburst, causing Ranma to shudder. Sensing her unease, the cat licks Ranma's cheek. "Gomen," Ranma gazes at him. "I didn't mean to make you upset..."  
  
"I assume your old man didn't put you into that pit just once, did he?" Ukyou shudders.  
  
"No. I think it was about six or seven times...before my mind finally snapped," Ranma sighs, drawing the cat into her lap as she strokes his fur. "Mother Ocean, so many things could have gone wrong that day, you know that? Even since I Crossed Over, I've thought of all the possible scenarios which could've resulted from the Neko-ken training. Going blind if the cats scratched my eyes out, becoming permanently insane or deranged...ugh!" she shudders.  
  
"You'll get over it, Ran-chan. You always do," Ukyou smiles.  
  
"If you don't mind my saying so, Ranma...Yuka's right. Your dad IS an idiot!" Akane spits out.  
  
"What gave you that clue, Akane?" Shampoo snorts.  
  
Everyone laughs...  
  
* * *  
  
Later...  
  
"So what's your plan now, man?"  
  
Ryouga shrugs, holding Ryooko's hand. Everyone stands at the front gate of Furinkan High. "Finding my dad. He's the only one in the family who doesn't have the family curse, but he travels around a lot because of his work. I should at least tell him I'm okay...not to mention introduce him to Ryooko-neesan."  
  
"Hai, that's true," Ukyou smirks. "Come back soon, Ryouga, Ryoo-chan. Fair solar winds and watch out for wormholes!"  
  
The non-Nendo-kata blink. "What does that mean?!" Akane asks.  
  
"Wanderer's farewell, Akane. It hopes for a safe journey to a friendly hearth," Ryooko smiles. "The Mother Ocean's blessings on you all, sisters. We'll be back soon."  
  
They wave as the Hibikis head off, then turn to head into the school. Ranma sighs, looking down. "Blaming yourself for what happened to Ryouga, Nee-chan?" Ranko hums.  
  
"Somewhat. If it wasn't for that unanswered challenge, he wouldn't've come to China in the first place...except for his normal wanderings," Ranma shrugs. "I just wish I could do something about helping him ditch his curse."  
  
"There is no cure, Ranma," Shampoo warns.  
  
"Hai, Airen, that's what everyone says...but believe me, we've often dealt with making the impossible possible," Ranko winks at her fiancee. "If there's a way we can help Ryouga ditch the curse, all the better for him. Pity we couldn't curse Mousse along the way; he deserves it for what he tried to do to me."  
  
"Xian, isn't that an actual punishment in your village for some crimes?" Ranma stares at the Nyu-che-zuu warrior.  
  
"Yes, it is, but Hibaa-chan would better understand when or when not to use it," Shampoo nods as they walk into the school. "Mu-tzu would get in a load of trouble for trying to curse my fiancee for no justifiable reason, you know. If Hibaa-chan comes by here, I'll ask her about it."  
  
"By the way, how IS it you avoided that?" Akane stares at Ranko. "I'd think something that powerful would do a real number on you, Ranko...not that I don't mind that it didn't."  
  
"My body automatically generates a low-level forcefield that acts like a second skin," Ranko explains, shrugging. "The energy of the forcefield shorted out the energy of the curse; hence, you had the steam that blocked Mousse from seeing me for a bit. And once the curse was wiped out, it just became normal spring water. It was just an unscheduled bath. Totally harmless."  
  
"It'll just make him angrier, you know," Ranma muses.  
  
"Then I'll keep smashing him down, Nee-chan!" Ranko snarls, gripping Shampoo's hand. "This is MY life-mate! No one forces himself or herself on my life-mate, not while I draw breath!!"  
  
"We gotta give him an attitude adjustment, that's all," Ukyou snorts. "Oi, speaking of someone with attitude problems, didn't you notice that Kunou wasn't around to 'greet' us today?"  
  
The others blink. "Yeah, I did," Ranma hums. "Isn't that odd. I can't sense him. Maybe Kikuko or Nabiki've seen him."  
  
"Do you WANT to see him, Ranma?!" Akane snorts.  
  
"Akane, remember the old saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer!"  
  
"Hai, Sensei..."  
  
* * *  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
"Sasuke!"  
  
"Yes, Master?!"  
  
"I see you've recovered from the wounds you received at Akane Tendou's hand. I've a reconnaissance for you to perform."  
  
"Tendou-san, Kuonji-san and the Saotome sisters, Master?"  
  
"None of them."  
  
"Master?!" This was a surprise.  
  
"I've been inspired. Proceed hence to Seishun High School. I wish to know how fair Mariko Konjou is doing."  
  
Surprise turns to outright shock. "Master, are you alright?! With all due respect, I thought you desired not to have anything to do with Konjou-san! Has someone forced you on this direction?!"  
  
"No, but I thank you for your concern, loyal Sasuke. Fear not for my abrupt change of tactics; I still am concerned about Akane Tendou, Ukyou Kuonji and the Saotome sisters and will proceed to investigate the matter at my convenience. Methinks my previous approach to them has riled their anger against me to the point where any positive emotions would be lost forever. I certainly do not desire that, Sasuke. However, to sate your curiosity, a most lovely angel, with hair as raven as blackest space, whom I had a most remarkable encounter yesterday, has...open my eyes to another possibly that my love for Akane Tendou hath blinded me to."  
  
"Konjou-san?"  
  
"Exactly, fair Sasuke."  
  
"I shall proceed at once, Master."  
  
"Good. Oh, before you depart, what of my beloved yet twisted sister? Where be she at this time?"  
  
"I greatly fear Mistress Kodachi may have...plans concerning members of the Furinkan rhythmic gymnastics team, Master. Her usual actions, of course, before the upcoming tournament."  
  
A resigned sigh. "Saddening, isn't it, Sasuke? Anyhow, let me delay you no further. Off with you."  
  
"Excuse me, Master..."  
  
* * *  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
The young woman sighs, her shoulders slumped as she walks down the street. The wide bonnet hat she wore over her head of flowing brown hair disguises the frown etched into her pretty face. Mother Ocean above, it had been a disaster. Her uncontrolled jealousy at a man who clearly was no more than a travelling companion to Ukyou Kuonji...saw the light of her life, whom she had pursued with reckless abandon for so long...killed. Worse, there was no body to find, much less any trace of Ryouga Hibiki.  
  
To a Nendo-kata, to fail to save innocent lives was a sin.  
  
To Tsubasa Kurenai, failing Ukyou was a worse sin.  
  
She turns a corner...then gasps as she runs into someone from behind, causing her to collapse on the ground! "Oh, sumimasen..." she grunts, then looks up to see a tall, slender woman, a first year high schooler in a private institution's uniform, turn to gaze on her. "Didn't see where I was going. Gomen nasai, Onee-san," she rises, bowing to the stranger.  
  
The raven-haired woman, wearing a stylish ponytail on her left side, blinks confusedly, then she notes the look of gloom in the younger woman's face. A sharp, reproachful reply, one that would put the impudent commoner in her place, suddenly disappears from her tongue as she begins to perceive the younger woman's deep pain, a chill racing through every bone in her body. No different than what she herself suffered when her mother died and her father abandoned them, fleeing into the unknown. Clearly, the poor dear had suffered a serious loss recently. Perhaps...  
  
Could she...?  
  
"Do not apologize," she then smiles. "Clearly, your mind was elsewhere this fine day...though I cannot, for the life of me, wonder why someone as pretty as you would feel so sad."  
  
Tsubasa blinks, then gazes at the taller woman as her empathic senses reach out to examine her. Very confident, yet...lonely in a way that made a Nendo-kata who had been a Wanderer for over a quarter-life (five hundred years) the happiest of people. Yes, she too was burdened with great loss...but her pain was older...and more intense. Tsubasa had lost someone she loved, she desired as a life-mate. This woman had lost a parent, perhaps both of them if the level of her pain and surging self-denial was real. Too real.  
  
She then lightly smiles. "I've a great reason to be sad this day, Onee-san. A...couple months ago...which seem like yesterday to me...I lost someone I desired very much as my...lover. What is worse, through my own love-blinded foolishness, I may've had a hand in...what happened to her..."  
  
The older woman blinks surprisedly, then sighs. "I grieve for you, my friend. I, too...have lost someone close to me. Forgive me, but did you say 'her?' You don't strike me as a..."  
  
Tsubasa blinks, then laughs. What a lovely sound. "Lesbian? I am that...and it doesn't shame me to admit it. To lie about it is the true shame in my eyes. If others can't accept it..." she shrugs. "I don't care...and why should I, anyway?"  
  
The older woman gazes on her, then smiles. "I admire such courage, even in the face of such heartache. Forgive me for asking, but we've not been properly introduced..."  
  
"Ah, gomen! Atashi wa Kurenai Tsubasa desu. Tsubasa to iidesu kudasai. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu (I'm Tsubasa Kurenai. Please call me Tsubasa. Pleased to meet you)."  
  
"Soo ka. Yoroshiku, Tsubasa-san. Watashi wa Kunou Kodachi desu. Kodachi to iidesu kudasai. Are you from here?"  
  
"Iie. Kyoto originally, Kodachi-san...but if I ever go back there, I fear that what relatives of the woman I desired learn of what happened to her..." she shudders.  
  
Kodachi blinks, then smiles, placing hands on Tsubasa's shoulders. "My deepest sympathies, Tsubasa-san. Perhaps you'd like to speak of this further? There is a nice cafe close by."  
  
"I..." Tsubasa gazes at her, then senses a deep longing within Kodachi. It seems to her that the other woman was looking for her own release, someone to lend a sympathetic ear. "I wouldn't mind it at all, Kodachi-san. Ikumashou (Shall we go)?"  
  
"Hai!"  
  
With that, the two turn down the street...then halt on seeing a bearish-looking man standing five metres ahead of them, now in a dark okonomiyaki-ya's uniform. "Kuonji-san!!!" Tsubasa gasps, placing herself protectively in front of Kodachi. Ukyou's father was clearly NOT in a pleasant mood...yet...it wasn't because of her? What was going on here? Did he know...?  
  
"There you are, Tsubasa!" Haruka Kuonji hums, walking up to the two teenagers. "What's going on?! Where's Ukyou? I just got a message from the family registrar stating that my son's been re-registered as a woman again!! Have you seen him?!"  
  
Tsubasa blinks. She knew Ukyou was legally a man though genetically a woman, due to the whole matter with the Saotome family...but what in the Mother Ocean's name would suddenly make the family registrar change Ukyou's gender without her father's consent...but then...that would mean...!  
  
Could...Ukyou...still...be...ALIVE?!!  
  
"Answer me, boy!" Haruka snarls.  
  
Behind Tsubasa, Kodachi's eyes narrow. "I think I've heard more than enough!" she hums, drawing out her combat ribbon. "You assault Tsubasa-san with your words. I know common folk like you are not as refined as one would desire, but leave her to her time of mourning! She has lost someone very dear to her!!"  
  
The elder Kuonji jolts, then hisses. "Stop interfering in things that don't concern you, rich girl!"  
  
Tsubasa jolts, then closes her eyes as she reaches out with her telepathy to scan Haruka Kuonji's mind. A surge of rage, shock and elation then fill her. Ukyou was alive (as of a day ago)...but now legally female...and even better, the registrar had slammed his foot down, warning the elder Kuonji that such could NEVER be changed again. That was what had set Haruka off; once Ukyou had dealt with Ranma Saotome and his father, she would once again be accepted as Haruka's daughter. Who had intervened on her behalf? Why? Worse...what would Haruka do now?  
  
She stares at him, her jaw set in determination. Haruka was clearly not pleased...and if she showed defiance to him, it could get ugly. No matter. If this sub-creature pressed it, he'd be in for a VERY rude surprise. "Kodachi-san is my friend, Kuonji-san. As for your *daughter,* I haven't seen her in two months. In fact, I believed her dead due to a tragic accident. That I hear that your *daughter* is alive and well fills me with joy, Kuonji-san. But due to my strong belief that I...may have unknowingly hurt her, I wish to stay as far from Ukyou-san as possible. I feel I have no right to call *her* my friend, much less anything more. To that end, I bid you a very good day. Coming, Kodachi-san?"  
  
"Hai," Kodachi nods.  
  
Haruka sputters, then yanks out his combat spatula to block Tsubasa's path. "Just where do you think you're going, boy?! I'm not finished with you yet!"  
  
"You are now, Oyaji!" Tsubasa glares at him, her lips curling into a huntsman's smile. "Personally, I hope Ukyou-san finally comes to her senses and cuts off all ties from you. Seeing as how you totally wrecked *her* life because of your obsession with Genma Saotome and his son, it wouldn't surprise me if you are without a child of EITHER sex before long!"  
  
Kodachi blinks. "Tsubasa-san, did you say 'Saotome?'"  
  
"Hai, I did, Kodachi-san. What of it?"  
  
"My brother has recently made the acquaintance of three women who currently attend his high school. Ranma, Ranko and Kikuko Saotome. Triplet sisters...and quite beautiful if my brother is a competent judge in these matters. Would they be related...?"  
  
A shocked sputter. Both girls turn to see Haruka pale-faced. "R-r-ranma...A GIRL?!?!?!" he screams. "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!!"  
  
"Are you accusing Kodachi-san's brother as a liar?" Tsubasa hums, then forcefully shoves the combat spatula away. With a touch of telekinesis, the force of the shove sends Haruka Kuonji on his backside. "Very rude of you to do so to someone you never met! Feh! I wash my hands of you...and I hope Ukyou-san does, too! You're not worthy to be the father to ANYONE!!"  
  
"Agreed!" Kodachi nods. "Let us be off, Tsubasa-san."  
  
"Hai," Tsubasa gently grasps Kodachi's hand as they walk down the street, then the former pauses. "Oh, by the way..."  
  
Haruka turns...as Tsubasa spins around, her hands unbuttoning her beautiful sundress to expose a pair of perky breasts, using the flaps of her dress to prevent nearby onlookers from getting a cheap thrill. "As you can see...they're VERY real!" Tsubasa winks.  
  
Haruka jolts, then screams out in mortal fright as he staggers away from the...the...WHATEVER it was before him, then he flees. Tsubasa snorts, then buttons herself up before gazing at Kodachi. The curiosity on the older woman's face is insatiable. "What, may I ask, was THAT all about?" she wonders.  
  
"A long story, Kodachi-san. C'mon, I'll tell it to you."  
  
They turn and head off...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	6. Surprise! Are You A Nendo-kata Too?!

"So this is home, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, it is," Ryouga smiles as he and Ryooko relax in the living room of the Hibiki home. To the latter's surprise, her newly-adopted family didn't live too far outside Tokyo proper, just to the west-south-west of Nerima in the general direction of Fuji-san. Ryouga's father, Ichiro, was a travelling salesman whose work took him all over Japan and sometimes abroad. According to a note left on a board inside the door, the elder Hibiki would be back in a week. Older notes indicated that Ryouga's mother Ishiko, his brother Kyouga and his sister Junko were still on the road, heaven only knew where. "It's actually okay, I guess. We still hang onto our memories of it, so sooner or later, we come back."  
  
Ryooko hums, then concentrates, her eyes glowing as she seeks out the psionic and other energy patterns permeating the home. "Yes, the links between this nest and our missing family are still strong," she muses, staring at him. "With a little effort, I can reach out to touch Kaa-san, Kyouga-niisan and Junko-imotousan, then 'guide' them in psionically. Perhaps have them home in a week."  
  
"Like a homing beacon, you mean?"  
  
"Exactly. It's not right that the members of our family are forced to endure this, Nii-san. Once you're all together, I can better endeavour to eliminate this problem within all of you."  
  
Ryouga blinks, then nods. "Heck, I definitely agree with that. I haven't seen any of them in so long...just Tou-san. Um, what about the little guy inside my head? What do I do about him, Nee-san? I take it he wants out of there as fast as possible."  
  
"Hai, that is true. The School of Sages made contact with someone who can be here in a few days. Once she comes, I assume you'd desire her to template herself of you as I did?"  
  
"Sure, why not? Do we have to be with Kikuko-san to do that?"  
  
"It would be advisable. While I don't foresee Kikuko and our soon-to-come sister becoming life-mates, they will be very close friends. Other people on the outside will become more involved. I dare say if this keeps up, a full school can form."  
  
Ryouga blinks, then hums. School. A close clan of immediate family bound to work as a group. Ranma, Ranko, Kikuko and Ukyou were survivors of various schools. In effect, they were the last witnesses to what those lost families did. The lowest number of Nendo-kata to form a school was eight. Counting life-mates...Akane and Shampoo...and tossing in Ryooko and the reincarnated piglet-turned-girl soon to arise from his subconscious, the new school Ryooko now envisioned would have a pretty good start.  
  
Ryooko stares knowingly at him. "Relax, Nii-chan. What I have in mind will also include you and the other relatives. We'll have quite an extended family when this is all organized correctly. In the meantime, why don't you go relax in your bedroom? I'll get to work bringing everyone in. Don't leave the house."  
  
"Hai!" Ryouga nods as he heads down a hallway, scanning the walls. In his home, he was actually pretty safe; it was small enough and the place was designed for people afflicted as he was. In a moment, he arrives at his room, then heads inside.  
  
"WHERE AM I NOW?!?!"  
  
In the living room, Ryooko jolts, then sighs, shaking her head ruefully. Ryouga HAD to learn how to keep himself calm...!  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net and Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART SIX - SURPRISE! ARE YOU A NENDO-KATA, TOO?!  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
The young woman stifles a yawn as she walks down the street towards Kolkotz High School, located some distance from Nerima's district centre. She travelled alone, as she had for the last two weeks. Before that incredible night when everything in her life changed...*Much to the better!* she muses...she would normally be seen in the company of her partner or being haggled by her small club of otaku. Not as big as what some girl named Akane Tendou was said to have at Furinkan High or what the Oni-Urusian woman Lum Moroboshi once had at Tomobiki High over a decade ago, but still enough to shower Azusa Shiratori with lots of attention.  
  
Which never truly seemed enough, she contemplates.  
  
The martial arts skater slowly exhales, glancing around as she feels her empathic powers reach out to touch those around her. It was quite automatic to one trained in the ways of the Great School, especially one as experienced as Azusa's Wanderer self. It was nice to be among fellow sentient beings again after four centuries alone...even if most Terrans hadn't even a fraction of the innate understanding a Nendo-kata possessed concerning her place in the Cosmic Chain of Life. Under normal circumstances, the changes invoked by the Crossing Over would've made Azusa's new life easier to handle, without serious problems.  
  
Problem was, Azusa wasn't normal before the Crossing Over.  
  
She blinks as a familiar...and now somewhat unwanted...feeling arcs through her. Mikado Sanzenin. Once again surrounded by his small school of "fans," girls who were so taken aback by his looks and innate charm that they couldn't see the contemptuous narcissist lurking beneath his skin. Blessed Mother Ocean, how could some people fall for that suave act?! Azusa spares a quick glance at her partner before heading inside, trying not to feel too nauseous. What was it with people her age, wanting so much to grasp at anything which they could admire and worship?  
  
*Being a little self-reproachful, aren't you, Azusa-chan?* a voice inquires inside her.  
  
She hadn't been so different before a thief chose the wrong night to attempt a break-in at her family's palatial mansion, just as a Wanderer came into sensing range. Her attention-seeking bouts of kleptomania, when she would try to snare some cute thing, give it a French name and keep it regardless of who really owned it. Her periods of self-denial over any wrongdoing, periods effectively encouraged by her parents' absence and servants who didn't want to "hurt" Azusa by being strict. That didn't mention having to put up to a food-scrap lap-remora like Mikado, who didn't value anything of their partnership save for the money diverted from Azusa's private trust fund to keep the Golden Pair going.  
  
She sighs, stepping into her homeroom as she relaxes at her desk, drawing out her books. While she didn't want to make really big waves, it was past time for things to change. Time to stop living this insane lie which ruled Azusa's life for so long. Even though she was a warrior of Unity, destined to bringing sentients together, it was clear to Azusa that a better Unity could be found than what she possessed now. With her parents, Mikado, everything else in her life. A new Azusa had been born two weeks ago.  
  
It was time to take advantage of that fresh start.  
  
She had already set into motion a transfer to a new school, to occur within the next week. From the choices available, she had selected Furinkan High. It wasn't much farther from her home than Kolkotz. Besides, other choices such as Saint Hebereke and Seishun didn't satisfy her. Seishun was the local home of martial arts cheerleading, concentrating its resources on that instead of Furinkan's profound diversity of martial arts clubs.  
  
And Kodachi went to Saint Hebereke.  
  
Azusa sighs. No, no need to cause a friend unnecessary grief. The Catholic nuns running that school just wouldn't understand it if a certain sexual liaison became public knowledge. A month ago, two VERY lonely women, who would NEVER admit such banal weaknesses in public, went to a Shinto shrine to seek guidance to improve their hollow personal lives. Kodachi Kunou, who lost her mother at a young age and had no idea where her father was. Azusa Shiratori, whose parents trotted the world constantly in pursuit of money and fame, forgetting their daughter in the process. Learning the other's story, the two became friends, both choosing not to go public with that in fear of losing face among their peers.  
  
Then one night, just a week before the Crossing Over...!  
  
Azusa fights to keep her blush down as those warm memories, memories that now sent her heart into a tail spin, flow back. The confusion. The anticipation. The shared need to go out and find answers. The heart-dropping leap of faith and trust one took in her first sexual encounter. People said you never forgot your first lover. Azusa certainly DIDN'T want to forget Kodachi. But if they tried to keep it up and Kodachi's teachers learned...?  
  
Even though a week later, when the very possibility of pursuing Kodachi as a life-mate became prominent in her heart, Azusa chose to remain steadfast. The religion whose sages ran Saint Hebereke invoked some narrow-minded ideas concerning personal relationships. Further, they were fanatical about enforcing their ways on their adherents...and as long as Kodachi was a student there, she was treated as an adherent, for both good or ill.  
  
Still, it would be so nice...  
  
* * *  
  
Saint Hebereke Girl's Private High School...  
  
"Sempai, you didn't...?"  
  
"No, I did not," Kodachi sighs, stretching herself. "A slight distraction turned me from my set course, but it will be resolved soon enough, I believe. Worry not about it, Suzuko. I assure you, we'll be triumphant when we deal with my silly brother's school."  
  
"Ah...h-hai," Suzuko nods, then heads off to stretch herself.  
  
Kodachi watches her go, then takes a deep breath. *Becoming a master of understatement, aren't you, 'Dachi?* she hums, trying not to laugh. A "slight" distraction? That WAS an understatement! It wasn't every day one encountered a half-alien Amazon warrior whose ability to perceive truth was quite breathtaking, even when it was turned on someone like herself.  
  
Tsubasa and Kodachi spent a wonderful afternoon in a coffee shop exchanging life stories, forming the friendly rapport Nendo-kata desired when they met those of other races who attracted their interest. For the first time since her brief affair with Azusa Shiratori, Kodachi had found someone willing to understand her, give her the benefit of the doubt. Clearly, her long-missing father or her witless brother didn't care for what Kodachi really felt. Azusa, bless her heart, did...but both had decided that a girl-girl liaison would just cause them no end of problems, from peers and teachers alike. And now, in Tsubasa Kurenai, Kodachi had found another person willing to take a chance and be true friends with the woman many feared as the Black Rose of Saint Hebereke.  
  
It was even more fortunate that those wonderful fellows of the SCAA, Kay and Jay, had come right away to her home to help Tsubasa better adjust to her new life. Before yesterday, Tsubasa Kurenai was legally a man, an orphan under the care of a centre in Kyoto although he'd been missing for some time. Now Tsubasa was legally a woman, an alien...a legal adult to boot!...having taken permanent residence on Earth. With a few words in the right places, all past reminders of Tsubasa's previous life would be erased.  
  
Even better for the girl's spirits, Ukyou Kuonji was revealed to be alive and well...and much to Tsubasa's surprise, also one of the Great School. According to a Nendo-kata sage based in Juuban, Matsuri Dokai, Ukyou had caught up to Ranma, made peace, then became an adopted member of the Saotome family to regain her own honour. To add to Tsubasa's surprise, Ranma had become a Nendo-kata herself, which would make things easier when she and Ukyou consummated their relationship. Maybe then, Haruka Kuonji would leave them in peace and accept his daughter back.  
  
A hand touches her leg and helps her reach back to further her stretch. "Feeling better?" a voice muses.  
  
"Very much so," Kodachi sighs. Tsubasa had, to better support herself, taken a job at Saint Hebereke as assistant trainer to the various sports clubs in exchange for private classes. While the coaches had been tempted to just make her the water girl, Tsubasa (with the help of Kodachi and her rhythmic gymnastics squad) had quickly changed that. She quickly won over the trust of everyone on the team...hey, if Kodachi really liked Tsubasa, she couldn't be THAT bad!...and had become the team's unofficial morale officer.  
  
"You miss Azusa-san, don't you?"  
  
Kodachi sighs. "It would cause problems, Tsu-chan."  
  
"'Dachi, if you care for her, why are you running away?"  
  
"As I said, it would cause problems, for her and I," Kodachi affirms, then turns herself to stretch her other leg. Both she and Tsubasa were sufficiently away from the others to have a private conversation. "If my situation...and hers, admittedly...was much better, it could work out...IF, by the way, we're both of that persuasion. Just because it's natural for you doesn't mean that is the same for myself or 'Zusa-chan."  
  
"Hai, that's true," Tsubasa nods, gently pushing Kodachi's leg up as her powers keep track of her friend's pain tolerance. "I guess it's because we don't mask personal relationships as much as people here do. From what I sensed of your time together, there was such Unity between you and Asuza-san, 'Dachi."  
  
"A blessed relationship?"  
  
"If you wish to refer to it that way, of course."  
  
"Mistress."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then sighs. No doubt, her family's servant was keeping him invisible; the teachers frowned heavily on the presence of non-staff males in class. "What is it, Sasuke?"  
  
"Forgive me for interrupting, but I've learned some things about Mistress Azusa," the voice whispers. Sasuke was the only one who knew of Kodachi's brief time with the skater, how much it had inwardly warmed her heart. "It appears she is now contemplating a transfer to Furinkan High School within the week."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then hums. "Odd. I doubt she'd be willing to leave behind that witless boor Sanzenin."  
  
"She IS leaving him behind, Mistress. Further, according to the rumours circulating around her school, Mistress Azusa has undergone quite a change in personality as of late."  
  
Tsubasa hums. "How much of a change, Sasuke-san?"  
  
"Quite profound, Miss Tsubasa. Mistress Azusa has forever given up her...'habit' of collecting cute objects. Further, she seems very focused on her studies. She still performs well with Master Sanzenin, but there is clearly a strain forming in their partnership. I say Mistress Azusa is ready to give up on him."  
  
Kodachi closes her eyes. "Sasuke, I need a favour."  
  
"A dozen or two dozen, Mistress?" he chuckles knowingly.  
  
Kodachi gives her order, then relaxes...before noting the far-away look on Tsubasa's face. "What is it, Tsu-chan?"  
  
"I...oh, gomen ne," Tsubasa smiles. "It just seemed strange hearing about how much Azusa-san changed. That's pretty radical, don't you think?"  
  
"Yes, it is..." Kodachi exhales, then stares at her. "No, you can't possibly mean...?!" her eyes widen, then she laughs. "Tsu-chan, the odds of THAT happening are...!"  
  
"As I told you, 'Dachi...we don't BELIEVE in odds!" Tsubasa winks. "We believe in facts. If it's happened, I can confirm it after school. Kolkotz isn't so far from here, you know."  
  
"True..."  
  
* * *  
  
The Tendou dojo, after school...  
  
"TSUBASA CROSSED OVER?!?!?!"  
  
Ukyou gapes slack-jawed at Matsuri Dokai. The Shinto shrine maiden was the sage of the Cold Flat Mound School. As everyone in the Great School knew now, Matsuri was also the life-mate to the Avatar of Hope, Ayako Maida. She was also known, only to a very select circle outside her sisters, as the Fire Sentinel, Sailor Ares of the Sailor Senshi Twins. Past mid-life, she had come to Earth a decade ago to save the life of a poor girl who had been dragooned into trying to kill the famed pretty warriors of Juuban. Because of her place in the Cold Flat Mound School, Matsuri was often the one who helped new Wanderers settle in, seeing to their spiritual needs. She also liaised with the SCAA concerning new arrivals, getting them legally registered in.  
  
"Hai, Ukyou-chan, she has," Matsuri nods. She had visited Saint Hebereke that morning to meet Tsubasa. "Tsubasa-chan most likely Crossed Over the same night you did, albeit in a different place, out of range from your senses. Since she didn't perceive what happened to you, she spent the last two months believing you had died that night, racked with guilt over what her actions could have done to you. Despite her propensity to push it, she really did care, Ukyou-chan. Believing you dead nearly destroyed her."  
  
Ukyou blinks, then sighs. "Aw, hell...!" she slumps her shoulders. "So what's she doing now?"  
  
"She works as an assistant physical education coach at Saint Hebereke Girl's School in exchange for progressing her education," Matsuri announces. "Further, she's found someone to be a friend to her...though from what Tsubasa-chan told me of this person, she may have potential competition if things get intense."  
  
"You mean she won't come after me anymore?" Ukyou blinks. "Matsuri-chan, this is the perfect situation..."  
  
"Ukyou-chan, Tsubasa-chan knows about the situation that made you Cross Over," Matsuri warns. "In her eyes, she did you a very grievous injury and thus finds herself unworthy of anything when it comes to you. Atop that, she does know of your pending bonding with Ranma-chan, so she definitely won't interfere in that."  
  
Ukyou's eyebrow arches. "You're kidding, right? Geez, this new girl must be some looker to turn Tsubasa away from me."  
  
"Hai, she is that, from what I saw of her," Matsuri chuckles. "Further, Kodachi-chan is...in many ways, as much an orphan as Tsubasa-chan. Tsubasa-chan is trying to help her better accept her place in life and progress from some...very disturbing habits her lack of proper parentage partially forced her into."  
  
"A loony, huh?"  
  
"Ukyou!" Matsuri scolds.  
  
Ukyou ducks the scornful look the sage passes her. "Sorry..." she flusters, then sighs. "Well, at least she's found a place to call her own. That's good for her. I guess the reason Tsubasa admired me so much is that I was so independent. He just wanted out of that damned orphanage he lived in."  
  
"No doubt," Matsuri sighs. "Oh, I heard that Ryooko-chan's sister might come down to Cross Over with that poor sentient in her brother's subconscious."  
  
"A Lore Mistress, right?"  
  
"Hai. But...according to my friends among the Sages, Ryooko-chan's sister...is a little out there," Matsuri shudders.  
  
Ukyou blinks. "A little out there" was the phrase Nendo-kata used to describe Wanderers who had been isolated from the Mother Ocean for an inordinately long period of time. "How long...?"  
  
"Right after she faced the Cavern."  
  
Ukyou face-faults!  
  
* * *  
  
Elsewhere...  
  
"We know this bitch's tactics!" the woman sighs. "We know how she makes sure her team 'wins' by hitting the other side ahead of time! Are we going to let this bitch get away with it?!"  
  
"No way!" the other girls shake their heads.  
  
"But how do we stop her from coming after us?" one of the others then wonders.  
  
"Easy," the first smiles. "We hit her before she hits us. I've already got some people helping us on that. By doing it that way, she has no idea that it's us coming after her!"  
  
"Eh?!" the others blink confusedly.  
  
The first shudders, inwardly delighted at her inspired act of "preventive medicine." No one had ever been able to beat Saint Hebereke when it came to martial arts rhythmic gymnastics...in most parts because the opposing teams always defaulted the match. The reason why: the private school's team captain, Kodachi "the Black Rose" Kunou, went out to hit the opposing teams some days before the match, crippling them, ensuring they couldn't compete.  
  
Furinkan High wouldn't suffer the same fate.  
  
After all, accidents could happen both ways...  
  
* * *  
  
Saint Hebereke...  
  
"'Dachi, what are you doing?"  
  
Kodachi tenses, then blinks, essaying a smile. "I'm just packing away my gear, Tsu-chan, that's all."  
  
Tsubasa blinks, then sighs, crossing her arms. "Are you sure that's all you're doing?" an eyebrow rises.  
  
Silence as the team captain's heart churns. On meeting and learning about Tsubasa, she knew right away she couldn't lie to the woman behind her. She also knew Tsubasa might not approve of this tested...and always proven!...tactic to ensure Saint Hebereke won tournaments in martial arts rhythmic gymnastics.  
  
But...still...!  
  
Hands gently touch her shoulders. "'Dachi, I believe in you."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then shudders. "Tsu-chan..."  
  
"I believe in you," Tsubasa whispers in her ear. "There's no need to do this, you know."  
  
"D-demo..."  
  
"You're afraid of losing, aren't you?"  
  
A pause, then, "Hai."  
  
Tsubasa blinks, then chuckles. "It's only a game, 'Dachi. A simple, harmless competition between two schools in a certain Art. Why are you taking it so seriously?"  
  
"B-because..." Kodachi stares at her, then sighs. Clearly, Nendo-kata had no concept about what such tournaments did to the participants, both the winners and losers.  
  
Tsubasa sighs. "'Dachi, can I tell you something?"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Sometimes, winning is the WORST thing that can happen."  
  
Blink, blink. "I...don't understand."  
  
"Let's take what you want to do," Tsubasa lightly smiles. "You go out, find the Furinkan team, then do what you do. Now, will they forfeit or press on? I say they might decide to press on. After all, Saint Hebereke has had a string of 'victories' like this and they'd consider it choice revenge against you to break that string. They decide to find someone. Say...someone trained in another martial art beyond rhythmic gymnastics; after all, you've only concentrated on gymnastics. Someone who can defend herself against you in case of another ambush. You try to deal with her...but you can't because she's on guard against you. Then you have to face the tournament. What happens then?"  
  
Kodachi stares at her, then sighs. "I could lose."  
  
"Hai. All your efforts would've been wasted."  
  
"But still..."  
  
"'Dachi," Tsubasa lightly smiles. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to succeed in a set task. Nothing at all. But...I'm afraid that the culture looming over sports competition isn't the best thing at times for the competitors. The emphasis is always 'Win, win, win!' What about simply enjoying the competition? Doesn't that matter? Do you enjoy practicing your Art, 'Dachi?"  
  
"Of course I do, Tsu-chan, but..."  
  
"Then go enjoy it," Tsubasa urges. "Have fun! Work to win, of course, but don't be so afraid of losing. It won't be the end of the world, you know. Do you want to know something, 'Dachi?" a knowing smile crosses her face. "I strongly bet you can learn more lessons from a defeat...than in any ten victories."  
  
Kodachi gazes at her new friend, then looks at her equipment. Part of her...the part everyone called "the Black Rose"...railed at the impudent commoner's criticisms against her actions. The other part...the real Kodachi...knew better. Tsubasa was acting out of simple concern for her and the others on the team, something the other coaches didn't seem to care for. All the older coaches cared about was getting victories, bringing honour to Saint Hebereke. Indeed, Tsubasa had it right. "Win! Win!! Win!!!" Besides, she was also correct about one other thing. It had been a VERY long time since Kodachi had faced a really good opponent. Maybe she was getting a bit rusty in her moves. That could be death to anyone!  
  
Yes, perhaps a change of tactics was called for.  
  
"Alright," she nods. "We'll see what happens. In the meantime, shall we go home?"  
  
"Hai!" Tsubasa smiles.  
  
Kodachi zips up her bag, then follows the assistant coach out of the gymnasium. Tsubasa already had her backpack. It was late in the afternoon; most of the students and staff had gone home or returned to the convent located beside the school. Given Tsubasa's current mode of dress...worn blue jeans, button shirt and ascot, a white sports bra totally invisible under her shirt...she seemed a very bishoonen boy to the casual onlooker. How amusing. Before the Crossing Over, Tsubasa WAS a bishoonen boy who dressed as a girl. Now she was a girl who was now dressed as a tomboy.  
  
Clearly, Kodachi muses, the Mother Ocean Tsubasa revered as the progenitor of her race had an odd sense of humour.  
  
With that, Kodachi slips her arm around her friend's. Even if there were "proper" modes of behaviour she MUST follow as a student at Saint Hebereke, the odd show of rebellion didn't bother her one bit. Being as rich as she was gave her a level of latitude in case some idiot truant officer rose an objection...and it would keep Tsubasa shielded. Besides, it was so nice now to have someone she could relate to, confide secrets in, knowing that other person wouldn't leave her if she could avoid it.  
  
Tsubasa certainly had such a beautiful smile...  
  
Kodachi shudders, then clicks her tongue. *Careful, 'Dachi!* she scolds herself. That sort of attitude had led to her and Azusa pulling apart after their deliciously wonderful, yet brief fling. No, she didn't want to fall into that cycle again...  
  
"Daijobu desu ka, 'Dachi?"  
  
Kodachi jolts, then gazes on Tsubasa. A concerned look is etched on her face. She then sighs. Honesty. Stay honest with this person...oh, gods, this was SO embarrassing! "Tsu-chan...um, I..." she stammers, then sighs. "Would you...?"  
  
"Want to go on a date with you?" she supplies.  
  
The gymnast jolts, then feels her cheeks flame. "H-hai..."  
  
Tsubasa smiles. "Yes, I'd love to."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then smiles. "Arigatou."  
  
The Nendo-kata hums, then leans close to her ear. "You're very, very, VERY beautiful when you blush, you know that?"  
  
Instant tomato effect. "Ts-tsu-chan...!"  
  
Both laugh...  
  
* * *  
  
Unseen...and unnoticed by Tsubasa, who was concentrating on her companion...were three large men, dressed in the uniform of some non-descript high school from a seedier part of the area. They came into the main part of Nerima from time to time to stir up trouble. This was one such time. All they had to do was rough up a certain snob gymnast with black hair in a ponytail named Kodachi Kunou. A girl, so the leader of Furinkan High's martial arts rhythmic gymnastics team told him when she was "paying" for their services, who loved to cheat when she was in competition.  
  
While the toughs certainly didn't mind bending rules and tossing out all sense of honour when it came to them interacting with other people, it assaulted their sense of propriety that some stuck-up bitch would cheat in a sports competition.  
  
No, that definitely wouldn't do...  
  
* * *  
  
Whistling happily, Azusa skated down the street, bookbag slung over her shoulders as she weaved her way through the crowd. Thanks to one of her friends, she discovered a new Western variation of skating...rollerblading...and wanted to try it. Unlike traditional roller skates, the wheels of her blades were set in a single line along the long axis of her feet, thus demanding greater balance concentration. It was even more challenging than figure skating, especially since the surface rollerbladers used was a minefield of textures, more challenging than the polished glass of an ice rink.  
  
She hums, then blinks as her empathic senses detect a very familiar warmth. Another Nendo-kata! A grin crosses her face as she tracks the source-point, then she blinks. Close to Saint Hebereke. Well, talk about coincidences! With that, Azusa changes direction, then skates off down the street. The sister close by only had a local for a companion. Clearly, she would welcome the chance to be with one of her own kind. Who could it be...?  
  
A jolt of pain then catches Azusa off-guard, followed by a chorus of nauseating feelings that forces her to stop by a parking meter to catch her breath. Both the newcomer and her companion were under pressure...but from...oh! Closing her eyes, Azusa reaches out telepathically...oh, Mother Ocean, NO!!  
  
"Kodachi!!!" she gasps, leaping down the street as she slips on shaded safety goggles over her eyes. For rollerblading, since she was still practicing, Azusa had on a safety helmet and padding to protect her in case she fell. The goggles would make onlookers believe she was keeping her eyes protected from dust. Besides, they were hued perfectly to disguise her eyes when they glowed.  
  
*Hang on, 'Dachi!!* Azusa grits her teeth...  
  
* * *  
  
Kodachi gasps as she is flung against a wall, air exploding from her lungs as she drops to the ground. Her uniform was ripped and she was now deprived of her weapons. Worse of all, as Tsubasa had warned, Kodachi was no hand-to-hand combatant by any stretch of the imagination. Still, she had full control over herself...she hadn't received a head blow...so she could keep some sense of order on this madness. A quick glance to her right shows Tsubasa slumped on the ground by a garbage can, blood seeping from a nasty wound in her scalp. These thugs had decided to "take it easy" and eliminate Kodachi's companion before coming after her.  
  
Gritting her teeth, she dodges as one of the thugs tries to kick her in the stomach. Thank Heaven she could still dodge and weave. As long as she kept clear of their fists and feet, she could try to regain the upper hand once she regained her weapons. With that, she cartwheels free of a swung iron pipe...the same weapon that had downed Tsubasa...then lands some distance away. Her bag was flung down beside the one she believed the leader of this rabble. If she could draw them away from the bag far enough, she could double back and grab it.  
  
"Damn bitch!!" one of the toughs snarls, hefting some sand from the road and flinging it.  
  
Kodachi dodges...the LAST thing she needed was sand in the eyes to blind her...then cries out as the tough with the pipe makes a telling blow in her side under her short ribs! Pain arcs through her as she drops to the ground, then gasps as the pipe makes another hard strike on her spine, her strength vanishing.  
  
"There we go!" the leader smirks, walking up confidently to kneel before her. "Don't mess her up too much, guys. Don't want to hurt the merchandise more than we have to."  
  
"What about the tomboy?" another nods at Tsubasa.  
  
"You want her, go ahead!" the leader chuckles, staring at the bleary-eyed Kodachi. "This one's all mine."  
  
The others chuckle...then they jolt on hearing the sound of something skidding on asphalt behind them. They turn...to see a girl in the fuku of Kolkotz High School standing there, now on rollerblades with full safety gear. The contemptful scowl of her face clearly indicated she was aware of what was happening...and disapproved. "Care to try that on me?"  
  
"Hey, we got one for all of us!" the third tough laughs, bolting up as he lunges at the newcomer. "C'mere, babe!"  
  
She raises a hand in a "stop" gesture...then the tough screams as SOMETHING snares him from head to toe, sending him flying into a telephone pole HARD!! The concrete doesn't yield as the tough is released from Azusa's telekinetic "hand," dropping head-first to unyielding ground below with the loud *CRACK!!* of skull bones being broken from the impact. The other toughs gape in shock, then turn...as Azusa pulls off her goggles, revealing her glowing eyes.  
  
"Like I said," Azusa mocks. "Care to try that on me?"  
  
"Wh-what the fuck IS sh-she...?" the leader stammers.  
  
"Fuckin' dead!!!" the other tough leaps up, swinging his pipe to brain the monster...  
  
...then he gasps as SOMETHING grabs his weapon and yanks it out of his hands, the bar sailing right into Azusa's outstretched palm. The tough's motion isn't slowed as he comes in range...then Azusa belts him HARD on the side of the head, crashing into the fence near the unconscious Tsubasa! As he drops, the leader shudders. "Fuckin' BITCH!!!" he grabs Kodachi, drawing out a switchblade to point at the gymnast's neck.  
  
Azusa sighs, then concentrates...as the tough gasps, feeling an icy vize-like grip snare his chest, squeezing his heart. He releases Kodachi and the knife as he staggers back, trying to do ANYTHING to get that grip away from his heart. "M-monster..." he gasps as nausea begins to overwhelm him, the stilled bloodflow to his mind causing his brain to shut down.  
  
"Yes, I AM a monster...to sub-creatures like you, who would attack people with no reason save tasting another's fear and pain!" contempt drips from Azusa's words. "This life has no need for those such as you. I think the world's better WITHOUT you..."  
  
The tough gasps as consciousness fades. Azusa lets him go, allowing the tough to collapse in a heap on the ground, then she skates over to the slowly stirring Kodachi. "Daijobu?! 'Dachi!!"  
  
Kodachi blinks, then focuses on a very welcome sight. "'Zusa-chan...is that you?" she reaches up to gently stroke her friend's cheek. "How did you...?"  
  
"Long story," Azusa smiles, then glances at Tsubasa. *I see I'm not the only one who thinks 'Dachi's sexy as all get out,* she hums, sliding over to help the unconscious woman up. "C'mon, let's get over to my place. You can rest up there."  
  
"Can you...oooh, that HURTS!!...take us...?" Kodachi moans, staggering to her feet as she moves to retrieve her bag.  
  
"Hai, pretty easy now," Azusa lifts Tsubasa into her arms, then slides over to Kodachi. "Wrap your arms around me and hang on tight, 'Dachi. We're going for a ride."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then nods, allowing herself to slump on her friend's back as Azusa's eyes glow. With a leap, they're airborne, soaring towards the Shiratori mansion...  
  
* * *  
  
Minutes later...  
  
"Oh, dear! Mistress!!"  
  
Kodachi sighs as Sasuke emerges from his hiding place, two dozen red roses in hand, then she nods assuredly. While she often treated the poor ninja like a slave, she did appreciate his concern for her welfare. "I'm alright, Sasuke," she takes a deep breath as Azusa carries the unconscious Tsubasa upstairs. "Will you find that nice chiropractor my brother knows of near the Tendou home and summon him here right away, please? Tsubasa's been badly hurt."  
  
"Ah...h-hai!" Sasuke nods, then vanishes.  
  
Kodachi groans, feeling her side as she begins to stagger up the stairs...then smiles as Azusa's body leans against hers as the weight is shifted off the gymnast's spine. It had been...just so exhilarating! One moment, she was in an alley recovering from several bad blows from those hooligans. The next, she was flying on the back of her friend toward the Shiratori home. She knew it was possible for Nendo-kata to fly using their telekinesis, which only confirmed what had happened to Azusa.  
  
"When...?" Kodachi wonders.  
  
"Two weeks ago," Azusa smiles, boosting her friend into her bedroom, laying her on the canopied bed beside Tsubasa. "A robber tried to break into this place. I caught him and he shot me. I would've died hadn't my Wanderer half been close by."  
  
"What of the thief...?"  
  
"Ashes in the wind."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then shudders. That was the phrase Nendo-kata used when they employed their more dangerous psychokinetic powers to disintegrate something. Usually, it was used to eliminate all traces of their previous selves, thus ensuring no one could learn the sacred secrets of the Crossing Over. Wise, indeed. With that, she glances over at Tsubasa. The head wound had stopped bleeding and was clearly mending. Her friend's breathing was steady.  
  
"I placed her in a meditative trance to help her recover," Azusa explains, sensing the questions Kodachi wanted to ask, then her eyes glow as the front door is opened and closed. "Oh, good!"  
  
Sasuke comes in, followed by Toofuu Ono. "Greetings, fair doctor," Kodachi smiles. "As you can see, my friend and I are in some need of your assistance."  
  
Toofuu pauses, then concentrates. Kodachi was unchanged...but thanks to his examination of the Saotome sisters, Ukyou and Ryooko, he could tell that Azusa and the unknown girl beside Kodachi were both Crossed Over Nendo-kata. Seeing the blood stains on Tsubasa's forehead and shirt, he examines the wound on her scalp. "Hmmm...blunt object hitting her in a surprise attack, I believe. What happened, Azusa-san?" he stares at the skater.  
  
"No doubt, someone thought 'Dachi an easy target to take down for whatever ecchi reason," Azusa sighs. "Seeing Tsubasa-chan with her, they took her out first, then went after 'Dachi. I came onto them before things would've become interesting."  
  
"Soo desu ka," Toofuu sighs, shaking his head. What on Earth was this world coming to? "She seems in a coma."  
  
"Meditation trance; it allows her to heal faster. All I'd recommend is that she has to rest. Anything further could inhibit her recovery," Azusa warns. "'Dachi took four hits. Her left leg, right forearm, mid-spine and right side below her ribs."  
  
Toofuu hums, then moves around the bed. "Could we have some privacy please, Sasuke?"  
  
"Of course, Sensei," Sasuke nods, heading out.  
  
With that, Kodachi's uniform is removed. Toofuu tsks on seeing the dark splotches on her skin were Azusa indicated. "Not bad. Muscle and tendon bruising. No sign of chipped bones. No doubt, you were automatically shifting to cancel the full effect of the strike. Pretty automatic to experienced martial artists."  
  
"You're too kind, Sensei," Kodachi smiles.  
  
"You deserve it. I can see why Azusa-san chose not to heal you herself; I doubt her self-awareness of her own body would've really been of help to you. Alright, let's see..."  
  
With gentle manipulation of her shiatsu points plus some ready ice packs provided by Azusa, the swelling on parts of Kodachi's body is quickly halted. "All I really can recommend now is for you to rest and stay off your feet until the pain in your back eases. I suggest you have Sasuke tell your brother what happened."  
  
"I would prefer to keep my brother out of this, thank you very much, Sensei," Kodachi sighs. "He tends to overreact at the wrong times and for the wrong reasons. I've no need to put up with it, nor will I subject my friends to his mindless tirades."  
  
Toofuu hums, then nods. "Good point. How soon do you believe Tsubasa-san will recover, Azusa-san?"  
  
"Probably later tonight. If you want, I can have her come to your clinic tomorrow to let you examine her then."  
  
"Alright, fair enough. You people know your own body dynamics better than I. Oh, does the SCAA know about what happened to you?"  
  
Azusa blinks confusedly. "The who...?!"  
  
"I'll explain it to her, Sensei," Kodachi smiles. "Though unlike the case of Tsubasa-chan, I hardly see much in the way of changes when it comes to 'Zusa-chan."  
  
"Still, it's better for the authorities to learn about me. I don't want to cause trouble if I can avoid it," Azusa smiles.  
  
"We might as well wait for the morning, then," Toofuu nods...  
  
* * *  
  
Some minutes later, the chiropractor and Sasuke leave, the latter bearing a note from Kodachi to her brother informing him that she was staying at a friend's place tonight. With that, Azusa assigns the cooks to whip up dinner before returning to the bedroom. By then, Kodachi had dressed herself in a flannel nightgown, having done the same for Tsubasa.   
  
"Moving in?" Azusa smirks knowingly as Kodachi relaxes.  
  
"The temptation is unreal, admittedly...especially now that Tsu-chan is in my life," Kodachi gazes on her sleeping friend, then she looks at her other friend. "How has it been for you?"  
  
"Not too bad, admittedly," Azusa sits on the bed at Kodachi's feet. "'Enlightening' is how I'd see it. It's so crazy, how much I've blinded myself over the years, 'Dachi...and how much that could hurt me for the rest of my life."  
  
"I've not endured the Crossing Over, but I must confess that my brief time with Tsu-chan has been likewise...enlightening," Kodachi smiles. "How has Sanzenin reacted to what's happened? I assume you haven't explained this to him."  
  
"Not well," Azusa snorts. Before the Crossing Over, Mikado ("Mikki" or "San-chan" to Azusa) had been an amusing distraction to her. Good skater and partner in martial arts figure skating, but useless in other areas. At times, especially when he tried to curb her kleptomania, he was plain annoying as hell. Now that she had her Wanderer half's telepathy and empathy, she was seeing him in a very unforgiving light. "He's pretty well off, but compared to me, he's dirt poor. Greed and overblown pride, 'Dachi; that's what he is deep down. He thinks, even now, that I'm so easy to control that there's nothing that'll threaten his present place."  
  
"He freeloads, you mean."  
  
Both turn as Tsubasa's eyes open. "Tsu-chan, you should be resting," Azusa warns.  
  
"A thousand humble apologies, sister. Don't worry; it's just my brain and basic life functions working. Everything else is trying to fix up this hole in my head." Her eyes then fall on Kodachi. "How are you today, 'Dachi?"  
  
"Glad that you're alright, Tsu-chan," Kodachi smiles. "Oh, you haven't been formally introduced. Tsu-chan, my first lover and dear friend, Azusa Shiratori. 'Zusa-chan, my new friend...and now your expatriate countrywoman, Tsubasa Kurenai."  
  
"Yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you), Azusa-chan," Tsubasa nods. "My apologies for forcing ourselves on you."  
  
"Yoroshiku, Tsu-chan...and don't apologize. I can guess you were distracted by 'Dachi to sense those three sub-creatures about to hurt you both."  
  
"What happened to them?"  
  
"Dealt with."  
  
"How harshly?" Kodachi wonders.  
  
"Very...but not terminally," Azusa smiles at her. "If the local constabulary were in time, they'll be in a hospital now with very bad concussions if not permanent brain-damage. I guess all three have caused loads of trouble to other people before...they just FELT that way to me...so the police might decide to let it slide and allow them to suffer."  
  
"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Tsubasa snorts. "By the way, did you sense why they wanted to hurt 'Dachi?"  
  
"I was too worried about 'Dachi and you, Tsu-chan. I didn't have time to do a psi-scan. Gomen."  
  
"Daijobu desu," Kodachi sighs. "It's just part of surviving in this increasingly hostile society of ours. We can investigate this at a latter time, when all of us have our wits about us. In the meantime, I think the good doctor's ministrations are making me sleepy. Shall we retire?"  
  
"If you don't mind our sleeping together," Azusa hums.  
  
Kodachi blinks, then stares at Tsubasa before gazing on Azusa. "No, of course not," she smiles. "I can only guess how long your Wanderer halves were alone. It's no wonder one of the first things you're inclined to do after the Crossing Over is seek the intimate touch of potential life-mates. Besides, I certainly trust you, 'Zusa-chan, as much as I presently trust Tsu-chan. We'll worry about...progressing things, if we desire, in the morning."  
  
"Hai," Azusa rises to change...  
  
* * *  
  
The Tendou dojo, the next morning...  
  
"...local news, three students from Tannin High School were found badly beaten in an alley some blocks from Saint Hebereke Girl's High School," the reporter's voice echoes over the radio in the kitchen. Kasumi, Kikuko and Ukyou were busy preparing the morning meal while Shampoo was taking her turn training Akane and Ranma was sparring with Ranko. "Police have no idea as to what caused them to be so badly hurt, but given that the three boys, whose identities remain undisclosed, may have engaged in theft and other misdemeanours over the last two years, it is believed the boys may have been involved in a botched robbery attempt..."  
  
"Oh, my!" Kasumi shakes her head, clearly disgusted. "To believe such people exist in this world."  
  
"Don't be so surprised," Ukyou smirks, then hums. "Hey, Kiku-chan, isn't Saint Hebereke the place our martial arts rhythmic gymnastics team was supposed to take on next week?"  
  
"Hai, I believe so," Kikuko muses, then stares quizzically at the okonomiyaki chef. "Do you think this might have had something to do with that competition, Ukyou-san?"  
  
"Dunno," Ukyou shrugs. "From what I heard at school, Saint Hebereke's been having a really long string of victories. Pretty odd ones at that; the other schools that went up against them all forfeited their matches."  
  
"Why would they do that?" Kasumi wonders.  
  
"From what I heard, the other teams wound up getting sidelined with injuries before the match actually occurs."  
  
"Someone attacked them, you mean?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Why would some people do that, Ukyou-san?" Kikuko blinks.  
  
"Anything for a victory, Kiku-chan," the cook shrugs.  
  
"There are times that attitude is proper, but certainly not in a sports competition between high schools," Kasumi muses, frowning.  
  
"Sometimes, people view sports as intensively as we would view martial arts, Kasumi-chan," Ukyou stares at her. "It's a real sad statement to make about society as a whole, ain't it? Do anything in your power just to come up on top. Sickening if you ask me."  
  
"Don't Nendo-kata believe in that?" Kasumi asks.  
  
"Hell, of course not!" Ukyou winces, flipping an okonomiyaki onto a plate now stacked full of steaming hot cakes. "When the stakes are potentially life and death, then yeah, it becomes very important...but if there's one thing in the Cosmic Chain of Life that is the enemy to real Unity, Kasumi-chan, it's the idea of there having to be one winner. What does that do? You sit back and think about it, all that ends up doing is create resentment, anger, hate...ugh! No thank you!" she shudders, pouring batter for a new okonomiyaki on the stove as she begins frying. "It's too much pain for some people, Kasumi-chan."  
  
"Like you," Kasumi stares at her.  
  
"Amen to that," Ukyou shudders. "Ran-chan was the same way before the Crossing Over. Hell, A-chan's that way now, even with people laying off on her."  
  
"Akane-chan has the right to feel like she's better, Ukyou-san," Kikuko warns. "Look what happened to her."  
  
The cook blinks, then nods. "Yeah, good point."  
  
Kasumi stops, then shudders before gazing on the Nendo-kata. "You...you know, don't you?" her voice is a whisper.  
  
"Can't ignore sensing that, Kasumi-chan," Ukyou sighs.  
  
"The pain...that event caused Akane-chan still burns deep in her heart," Kikuko adds. "It's a beast clawing at her soul. We don't know the full details of what happened...but when we first met her, it was the most glaring thing we noticed about her. It explains a lot about her personality even now, Kasumi-neechan...not to mention yours, Nabiki-neechan's and Otou-san's, too."  
  
Kasumi blinks, then sighs. "That's right. You said your empathic powers were automatic. Yet..."  
  
"Why haven't we said something?" Ukyou smirks. "First of all, it's A-chan's pain, Kasumi. If she wants to talk about it, that's her choice. Ran-chan, me and everyone else won't force her to talk about it if she doesn't want to think about it. Atop that, we DO hold the confidences of those we care for. We won't say anything about it to other people. Why should we do something like that? A-chan wants other people to respect her. She wants to feel really confident about herself. She doesn't need pity. She doesn't want to be babied, either, Kasumi. That just reinforces the pain in her eyes." A pause. "A-chan was never given the chance to recover fully from that, Kasumi. I know this hurt you all just as bad, but A-chan needed her family to stand by her then. You weren't there for her...and because Ran-chan and I care for her, we're now stuck repairing the damage that isolation added to her wounds."  
  
Kasumi shudders. "Gomen..."  
  
"We're not accusing you of anything, Nee-chan," Kikuko smiles. "All we want to do is help you heal. You can't heal unless you face the truth of what happened."  
  
Kasumi pauses, then nods. "Hai, that's true. Perhaps we've ignored Akane-chan's pain...and our own...for too long. What do you think we should do?"  
  
"Don't mention it to her now," Ukyou sighs. "We want her to learn of our...knowing her problem on her own. Forcing it down her throat, even subtlety, creates resentment...and even now, A-chan's quick to feel a lotta resentment when she thinks others treat her like she can't fight her own battles, face up to her own problems. It'll happen, but it'll take time."  
  
"True," Kasumi nods.  
  
With that, breakfast preparations are quickly completed as everyone comes in from their various morning activities. Akane and Shampoo are busy chatting about the bonbori the former had started to learn under the latter's tutelage. "It's weighed differently that my mallet," she muses, holding one of the large maces up. "I think the handle's not weighted right, Xian. I don't know if I can make use of something like this in a fight."  
  
"You can fix it up to give you more weight in the handle, but that might take away from the head," Shampoo muses. "Don't worry, Akane. All it needs is time and practice. You can't learn this overnight, you know. Just like you can't learn cooking overnight."  
  
Akane jolts, then sighs, placing the bonbori down as she digs into her rice and miso soup. "Hai, that's true," she shudders, remembering the total disaster dinner was last night. Thank the heavens the Nendo-kata she lived with had been strong enough to put down that...WHATEVER it was!...which had surged out of her attempt at beef stroganoff. "Sorry about that..."  
  
"You've apologized twenty-six times already, Akane," Ranma gently scolds. "Thank you, we got the message."  
  
"Demo..."  
  
"Akane-chan, when you started practicing martial arts, did you start shattering bricks right then and there?" Ranko hums.  
  
"No, of course not!!" Akane snaps. "You can't...!"  
  
"Cooking's the same thing, A-chan," Ukyou explains. "Hell, my first attempt at okonomiyaki was almost as bad as what you came up with last night. Though I gotta admit, I never created a potential LIFE FORM with my early cooking."  
  
"Maybe it's a sign of Akane's potential in xenobiology and genetic engineering," Ranko smirks.  
  
"Yeah!" Ranma tries not to laugh, then rises, slouching as if he had a haunched back, looming over Akane. "I am Igor, servant to Akane Tendou, the Evil Mad Doctor of Nerima's Kitchens...!" she slurs through a lapping tongue and twisted lips.  
  
Ukyou, Nabiki and Ranko fall over laughing. Shampoo seems confused; clearly, she never read Mary Shelley. Kasumi and Kikuko BARELY keep their faces straight. Souun, as is his want, wails about Akane becoming a mad scientist. Akane tries to hide her embarrassment behind her bowl of soup. While she didn't like teasing in general, she had to admit that Ranma was pretty good-natured about it. A profound change, according to Ranko, from the stuck-up, sometimes arrogant boy Ranma had been before Jusenkyou. Who knew WHAT insults Ranma would've heaped on her after last night hadn't he Crossed Over and become a Nendo-kata.  
  
"Okay, servant!" she then hums, glaring intently at Ranma. "Just for that, you get to carry me to every class today!"  
  
Ranma blinks, then in a very good imitation of what Shampoo was like with she started to date Ranko in Joketsuzoku, leaps over to swamp her fiancee with a classic Chinese Amazon Glomp. "Oh, Ranma knew Akane like her!" Ranma rubs her cheek against Akane's, purring contently. "We have nice date tonight, yes?!"  
  
Akane pales. Jeez, she thought Ranko was joking about the strength of Shampoo's bear-hugs! "Ranma...I need to breathe...!"  
  
"Wo na ai, Airen," Ranma coos cutely.  
  
THAT gets Shampoo laughing! Soon, everyone joins in...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	7. Dark Memories

"Sasuke!!"  
  
"Yes, Master!"  
  
Tatewaki Kunou sighs, glancing around his family mansion's living room. "Where, faithful Sasuke, has my sister been since yesterday morning?! She did not return home last night!"  
  
"Ah, forgive me, Master, but Mistress Kodachi elected to stay with a good friend overnight," Sasuke flusters. The kendoist had retired to bed by the time the ninja servant had returned from the Shiratori mansion. "She asked me to give this to you, but since you had already gone to bed..." he hands Kunou a folded note.  
  
"Never mind," Kunou opens the note, briefly scanning the words written there, then he sighs. "What news of fair Mariko Konjou?"  
  
Sasuke quietly exhales, endeavouring to show no outward sign of his relief. While there was some underlying affection between Tatewaki and Kodachi, the relations between the Kunou siblings had become increasingly strained over the last few years, ever since their mother's death and their father's disappearance into parts unknown. Well, with Kodachi's growing relationships with Tsubasa Kurenai and Azusa Shiratori, maybe the "Black Rose" would find it within herself to walk a more well-behaved path anew.  
  
Now if only things between Tatewaki and Mariko worked out.  
  
"Very good news on that front, Master..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net, Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net and Robert Masters rdm@pienetworks.com  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART SEVEN - DARK MEMORIES  
  
"OUCH!!!!"  
  
Toofuu Ono winces as Kodachi writhes under his grip, then he sighs. "I apologize, Kodachi-san. I didn't realize that still hurt you so much. Please hold still for a moment..."  
  
Kodachi shudders, then yelps surprisedly as the chiropractor gently fingers probe the discoloured bruise in her side under her ribs. "Nor did I...sense how bad that was, fair...aaaai!!" she moans, her whole body tensing. "Damn those cretins...!!"  
  
Nearby, Azusa and Tsubasa exchange worried looks, then relax as they sense Toofuu's ministrations starting to take effect, the psionic aura of Kodachi's emotions becoming more tranquil. "This was worse than I first suspected last night," Toofuu shakes his head. "You'll have to stay away from gymnastics or any sort of heavy exercise for a few days, Kodachi-san. Any turn of your body that affects this particular muscle group will be painful."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then sighs. "Of course, Sensei. Whatever you believe is best," she lays back on the bed. "Damn...!"  
  
"Just relax," Toofuu smiles, then turns to Azusa. "I heard from a friend at Nerima General Hospital about those three people who attacked Kodachi-san and Tsubasa-san. All three of them are in comas; they might not recover for well over a month. Are you normally that rough when it comes to street punks, Azusa-san?"  
  
The skater sighs. "Forgive me, Toofuu-sensei...but I care deeply for 'Dachi. When I sensed she and Tsu-chan being attacked, it...well, the reaction any of the Great School would feel when they sense a sister or friend in danger is automatic...!"  
  
Toofuu blinks, then concentrates as he probes Azusa's aura. Given that physically, she was human, there were many similarities between Azusa's chi aura and that of a normal girl her age. There were the differences, though. Streaks of deep sea blue-green which denoted her Nendo-kata paranormal abilities. Smaller streaks of pure black...Ryooko Hibiki had described that as the aftermath of a Wanderer's many years alone in deep space; they would eventually fade over time. And finally, the core of Azusa's soul was a mix of pure white and sky blue, slowly melting together. The core chi of Azusa Shiratori and the Wanderer who had merged with her, melting together into one unique being with the best qualities of both. But the majority of Azusa's chi aura was pure pink-red, the sign of passionate love. Noting that Azusa's internal focus was locked on Kodachi, it was easy to conclude who had won this woman's heart.  
  
"I see..." Toofuu chuckles, nodding understandingly.  
  
"Toofuu-sensei...!" Azusa suddenly flushes.  
  
Kodachi stares at her friend, then the doctor, clearly confused by their embarrassment. "What?! What is it...?"  
  
"Given Toofuu-sensei's skill at sensing chi auras, 'Dachi, he'd be the equal of an experienced healer in the Healer's School," Tsubasa helpfully cuts in, then hums. "Sensei, I've been thinking about what happened. There is a way by which we COULD help 'Dachi heal herself using her own recuperative powers and life-force."  
  
"You can't ask 'Dachi to do THAT, Tsu-chan," Azusa objects.  
  
"You could do it with her, 'Zusa," Tsubasa reminds her.  
  
Azusa feels her cheeks flame in embarrassment. "T-true..."  
  
"May I ask what you're talking about?" Toofuu wonders.  
  
"The best term for it is 'intimate therapy,'" Tsubasa smiles, then jolts on sensing a surge of profound embarrassment mixed with gnawing anticipation from Kodachi. "Gomen ne, 'Dachi. I know how much both you and 'Zusa love each other...but given how savage that attack was added onto your upcoming tournament with Furinkan..."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then nods. "Yes, I would like to be in top form for that," she sits up, grunting as a flash of pain surges up from her side, then she gazes on Azusa. "Gomen nasai. I never expected us to get back together THIS way, 'Zusa..."  
  
"You don't want to be forced into this, do you?" Azusa muses.  
  
"No, not really...but I certainly wouldn't object if either you or Tsu-chan...or both of you for that matter...were to help me get myself back to top form," Kodachi smiles, then jolts. *What in the name of the gods made me say THAT?!!* she mentally croaks.  
  
Azusa and Tsubasa madly blush. "W-well..." both stammer.  
  
Toofuu starts to laugh. "Oh, gods! Young girls in love...!!"  
  
Soon enough, everyone howls with merriment before sputters of pain from Kodachi force the others to her side...  
  
* * *  
  
"Ah, another quiet, peaceful day!" Ranma sighs as she, her sisters, Akane, Ukyou and Shampoo make their way onto campus.  
  
"Yeah, it seems...oh, shit!" Ukyou sighs. "Look who's back."  
  
Everyone looks to see Tatewaki Kunou standing in their path, calm determination flashing in his eyes. As soon as he confirms that the women before him have taken notice of his presence, he smiles. "Never could I, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, believe such blossoming flowers as you could ever conceive of anything else other than to bestow your love to a worthy man. That you choose to wholeheartedly engage in such abominable practices as to share the intimate warmth of each other is a mystery to me, not to mention a grave concern since I fear that if others take to your example...!"  
  
"Kunou, that's enough!!" Ranma snaps. She is quick to sense a crowd surging towards them, many people's interest piqued by this newest confrontation between their school's most bombastic student and the newest members of the student body. Well, if they were expecting a fight between herself and Kunou, they were going to be disappointed. "First, my sisters and I, not to mention U-chan and Shampoo, would consider it dishonourable to force our beliefs and ways on others without their empathic agreement. I am quite aware that almost all the girls in the school now are happy the way they are. That makes me very happy for them. I only ask in return that people respect the way I wish to live my life. We all do."  
  
"Fine and fair enough, Ranma Saotome...but why do you insist that Akane Tendou be party to this...?!" Kunou flusters.  
  
Ranma sighs, crossing her arms. "Kunou, things have changed. Akane Tendou does not exist anymore. She is now Akane Saotome. Since our country doesn't recognize same-sex couplings, the only logical solution to the matter was for my family to adopt Akane as a part of it. What's wrong with that?!"  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Kunou bellows, jolting back in shock, then he bolts over to gently seize Akane's hands. "Akane, say it is not so...!!"  
  
*WHOMP!!!!*  
  
"I didn't give you permission to touch me, pervert!!" Akane snarls, then stows Mallet-sama before marching to the front doors. "Honestly, can't you finally get the hint and leave me alone?!"  
  
Scanning around the crowd, Ranma sighs, shaking her head, then senses Ukyou's calming hand on her shoulder. Give her a break, Ran-chan, the okonomiyaki chef winks. She needs the chance to develop more ways of expressing herself beyond anger, you know.  
  
Hai, that's true, Ranma sadly nods...  
  
* * *  
  
"You look depressed today, Ranma. Are you okay?"  
  
Ranma jolts, then stares at Nabiki. Everyone was now filing into the cafeteria for lunch. "Yeah, you can say that," the older Saotome daughter nods, then sits back. "You really want to know something, Nabiki? I really don't understand people at times. How can Kunou continue to delude himself into thinking that Akane cares for him...damn, especially after what Elder Ryooko did?!"  
  
"Some people withdraw totally from reality when the pressures of life become too much for them, Ranma," Nabiki shakes her head. "That's the reason I was a little concerned about you and your sisters going after him using your own methods instead of playing along with what he likes to do. I know you people don't like the idea of fighting without good cause, but with the way Kunou-chan is at times, trying to resort to a more peaceful solution won't work."  
  
"So I have to keep fighting him all the time, you mean? Damn it all, Nabiki, that'll just get us nowhere..."  
  
"I know, I know," Nabiki sighs. "Look, your human half never had to deal much with friends and friendships because you were out on the road so much with just your dad for company, right? Your Wanderer half only had to deal with your own school, your family, right...then after they died, it was just you and Kikuko-chan? I hate to say this, Ranma, but you've been sheltered your whole life in BOTH your lives. Reality's a lot more different, you know."  
  
"Yeah, you can say that again," Ranma sips her cola, then sighs. "I noticed in my foot locker today there were a half-dozen or so love letters from boys on campus. Geez, didn't Akane make the point about mentioning my gender preference in her speech?"  
  
"My point exactly," Nabiki nods. "In this country, everyone's gotta conform to a certain social standard, even more so than in other nations on Earth. Behave in a certain way, dress uniformly and all that. The nail that sticks up gets smashed down and all that sort of conformist crap. Now, here at Furinkan, it's not as strictly enforced, but there are certain limits people set. Like it or not, Ranma, you and your sisters rather exceed those limits. You're lucky that since it's still so soon after your arrival, others haven't had the chance to properly pigeon-hole you yet in their own minds and worldviews...but when they do..." she shudders.  
  
"Oh, terrific!" Ranma shudders.  
  
"Atop that, Kunou-chan is seen pretty much as the trendsetter about what's acceptable and what's not here at school."  
  
"Why's that?!"  
  
"Turns out that his father, wherever the guy is right now, is on record as the principal here," Nabiki sighs. "The staff know it so that's why Kunou-chan's been left pretty much alone. If he went to another school, it'd be a heck of a lot different, but..."  
  
Ranma's eyes narrow, she nodding begrudgingly. "Like U-chan said it: he's nothing more than the 'big asshole on campus.'"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Wonderful...!!" Ranma sighs, then hums. "So what now? Do I have to always fight the dummy? I don't want my skills to rust out if that becomes a habit, you know..."  
  
"Let me think about it for a bit," Nabiki nibbles her rice, then sighs. "We've got another problem."  
  
"Being?"  
  
"Money. Look, it was nice of your sisters in Oshika to help you girls settle in and get the guest house paid for, but with the addition of five new mouths to feed...thank the gods your dad doesn't live there anymore!...we need a pretty steady income."  
  
"Well, when U-chan gets her restaurant going, that should help out. What about opening the dojo to new students? Would your dad want to go along with that?" Ranma crosses her arms.  
  
"He hasn't taught much since Mom died," Nabiki laments.  
  
"It will take in money in a much better way than what you do now with all the scams you run, you know," Ranma muses.  
  
"Hai, true, but will it be enough in the long term? If we get you, your sisters, Akane, Ukyou and Shampoo in to teach, it might not do as well since all of you are girls. Female senseis aren't as universally trusted as male senseis," Nabiki warns.  
  
Ranma shudders. "Geez, I never though that being a woman in this society was THAT bad..." she mutters.  
  
"True, we aren't as forward-thinking as the Western nations when it comes to women's rights, but opportunities are there," Nabiki nods. "You just have to play it up the right way."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I'll have to think about that. Let me get back to you..."  
  
An explosion!! Nabiki and Ranma jolt, then spin around as dust seems to settle over a new doorway in the cafeteria wall. A familiar white-robed figure stands there. "WHERE IS SHAMPOO?!?!"  
  
"Oh, frig, what's HE doing here?!" Ranma snarls.  
  
Mousse sweeps into the cafeteria, ignoring the students around him, then he locks onto someone, a growl surging up his throat. "There you are, you alien whore..." he lunges for the attack...  
  
*CLANG!!*  
  
"Wrong person, jackass!!" Ukyou draws back Spatula-sama, then shifts into a ready stance. "Don't you get the hint by now, bud?! Xian doesn't want anything to do with a dork like you!!"  
  
Mousse surges up, then lunges for the attack. "FIST OF THE WHITE SWAN!!!!" he bellows as a storm of objects surge at Ukyou.  
  
To the weapons master's horror, Spatula-sama twirls like an airplane propeller, the sharp edges cutting through the chains and ropes with the same ease demonstrated days ago by Ryouga Hibiki's bandannas. "Nice try, jerk!! Now try this!" Ukyou yanks up some mini-spatulas. "***HERA SHURIKEN ARASHI!!!!***"  
  
"YEOWCH!!!!!!" Mousse wails as a hail of those small spatulas rip through his robes and hair, staggering him.  
  
Right behind her spatula storm, Ukyou lunges at him, her large spatula whipping around like a baseball bat. "BATTER UP!!!!" she makes contact, sending Mousse sailing through the ceiling into the early afternoon sky. "Now STAY out, you jerk!!!"  
  
"Shampoooooooooooooooooo...!!" Mousse helplessly wails.  
  
Relaxing herself, Ukyou then jolts on hearing whoops and applause echo from the students around her. Flushing madly, the okonomiyaki chef laughs, then bows apologetically. "Oi, oi, that's cool!! Thanks, everyone!! Sorry about that!"  
  
She turns back to her mini-stove as people crowd around her to pass on further compliments. Nabiki and Ranma relax, then return to their own lunches. "Geez, Mousse really knows how to get under a lot of people's skin, doesn't he?" the latter mutters.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," the former nods.  
  
"Mousse was here?!"  
  
Both turn as Ranko and Shampoo storm up, both tense and ready for a brawl. "Yeah, but U-chan took care of him," Ranma indicates the damage left behind from Ukyou's battle with the weapons master. "He's probably stuck head-first in someone's roof right now..."  
  
* * *  
  
Sure enough...  
  
"HOW DARE YOU WRECK MY ROOF AGAIN, YOU GAIJIN BEAST?!?!?!"  
  
*WHOMP!!* *SMACK!!* *CRUNCH!!* *POW!!* *CLUNK!!!*  
  
"OUCH!!!! OI, THAT HURTS!!!! HELP ME, SHAMPOO!!!!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
Kikuko sighs as she makes her way to her next class. She had sensed what happened in the cafeteria but since Mousse was nowhere near Ukyou's class of fighter, she didn't feel she had to help deal with the fool. If he couldn't get the hint that Shampoo and Ranko were meant to be, that was his problem. So much like Kunou. Why was it so many in this world were so damned blind at times...?  
  
"Kikuko Saotome!"  
  
Kikuko stops, then sighs, turning to see Tatewaki Kunou stand close by, several members of the school kendo club with him, all armed and tense. "Is there a problem, Kunou-san...and who are you talking to, if you don't mind my asking?" she crosses her arms.  
  
The kendoist jolts, then stares evenly at the youngest (in one sense) of the Saotome triplets. "You will call me 'sempai'..."  
  
"You have not done anything to merit such respect from me, Kunou-san," Kikuko's voice drips with such levels of scorn, the added honorific at the end of Kunou's name serves as a scolding insult. "By the way, I am no longer to be addressed as 'Kikuko Saotome.' I am now to be addressed as 'Kikuko Tendou.' If you refuse to remember that, I shall not answer you at all, Kunou-san."  
  
"WHAT?!?!" the kendoist jolts, then leans right into Kikuko's face. "What do you mean by that...?!"  
  
"***KIBARA NO TOGE ARASHI!!!!***"  
  
The kendoists wail in shock as a storm of golden chi balls lash out at them, staggering back from the sudden assault. Kikuko closes her eyes as she telekinetically opens nearby windows, then with a casual mental "shove," sends them spiralling outside to fall three floors into the pool. Hearing the satisfying *splash!!* of the group getting dunked, Kikuko leans on the windowsill, staring down. "Have a nice swim, minna-san," she chuckles, then turns to head back to class...before suddenly stopping, her empathic senses picking up a curious focal nexus from nearby.  
  
A glance over her shoulder reveals a frail-looking fellow with ghost-like features staring wide-eyed at her. Sensing that Kikuko had now detected his presence, the fellow yelps as he tries to duck away and escape. Sighing, Kikuko concentrates, closing her eyes. A surprised cry echoes through the halls as the hapless fellow is tossed back to land right in front of Kikuko. Recognizing him, she sighs, crossing her arms. "Gosunkugi-san, it's not nice to spy on people, you know," she stares intently at him.  
  
Hikaru Gosunkugi shudders, staring wide-eyed at his classmate. "H-h-how did you d-d-do th-that?!" the would-be sorcerer stammers.  
  
"I have my ways. Now why are you spying on me?" Kikuko leans down to glare into his eyes. "Don't attempt to lie to me about this, Gosunkugi-san. I can smell a liar coming a kilometre away."  
  
"I...I...I..." he stutters, then turns away from her steely look. "Imtryingtodiscoveryourweakspot," he then blurts out.  
  
"Eh?!" she blinks, then reaches over to twist his head so she could look into his eyes. "Say that again more slowly please."  
  
"I..." Hikaru gulps. "I'm trying to discover your weak spot," he eeps, his voice so low, no normal person could hear it.  
  
Of course, Kikuko could hardly be classified as "normal." "My weak spot?" she blinks, then straightens herself, reaching down to help him back to his feet. "Why would you wish to know that sort of thing, Gosunkugi-san? Have I done something to cause you such offense that you would seek to retaliate THIS way?"  
  
Hikaru jolts, surprised by her show of grace, then shudders. "N-n-no! N-not y-you, K-k-kikuko-san! It...ah...er...well, you see...it's your sister th-that...well, you see...?"  
  
Kikuko's eyebrow arches. "Which sister do you mean? If you think about it, I have five sisters now."  
  
"Ah...w-well, it's R-r-ranma..."  
  
"Ranma-neesan? Doshite (Why)?"  
  
"Um...w-well, I...um, I gotta go to class!!" he blurts out as he moves to get away from Kikuko.  
  
She sighs, snaring him with a hand as she drags him back close to her. "Gosunkugi-san, it is not nice to leave someone in the middle of a conversation, especially if there is supposedly some sort of problem between the parties involved. Now, you just told me my sister has caused you considerable offense. What exactly happened that caused you to come to hate my sister like that? We cannot resolve this matter by running away from it..."  
  
Kikuko jolts on sensing someone racing at her from behind, then throws up her free hand, her eyes glowing as a telekinetic force-bubble forms around her and Hikaru. Kunou's bokan stick slams into the field, bouncing back to clobber the kendoist right in the forehead, staggering him. With another wave of her hand, he flies right out the open window for another dip in the pool.  
  
"***WHAT SORCERY IS THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS...?!?!?!***"  
  
*SPLASH!!!*  
  
Hikaru is speechless, then watches wide-eyed as Kikuko's eyes lose that strange burgundy luminescence, returning to their normal fudge-brown shade. With that, she lets go of his shirt, then turns to walk away. "Stupid fool! Can't learn a damned thing...!" she mutters, shaking her head as she rubs away an oncoming headache.  
  
Hikaru stares at her, then blinks. "You're a psychic!"  
  
"Eh?!" Kikuko jolts, then turns to stare at him before her cheeks suddenly redden, her empathic powers picking up a surge of genuine curiosity from her classmate. "Oh, Gosunkugi-san, gomen nasai. I didn't mean to snap at you like that..." her voice trails off, then she blinks surprisedly. "You know...?!"  
  
Hikaru flusters, then sighs. "Well, everyone knows that Kunou-sempai is an idiot! That wasn't sorcery from what I saw of what you did. More like some form of telekinesis..." his voice trails off, then he stares at her. "Oi, how DID you do that?!"  
  
"You just made the right conclusion. I'm psychic," she points at him, sensing that he could possibly handle some of the truth. "Specifically, I'm telepathic, empathic and telekinetic. Any time I use my telepathic or telekinetic powers, my eyes glow."  
  
"Soo ka...but how did you get those powers, anyway? Are you some sort of mutant or something like that...?"  
  
"No, I'm half-alien," she shakes her head.  
  
"Oh, didn't want to go to Tomobiki High Sch-...EH?!?!" Hikaru nearly leaps out of his uniform in shock. "HALF-AL-...?!!"  
  
His mouth is slapped shut as Kikuko cuts off his voice, she dragging him to a nearby alcove so they could converse privately. "Baka, do you want to scream that out to everyone in the school?!" she hisses, glaring intently at him. "I swear, if you..."  
  
He waves his hands peacefully to cut her off, then as she draws her hand back from his face, breathes out. "Whew!!" he wipes his forehead, then stares at her. "Look, I..."  
  
"You know, you still haven't answered my question about why you don't like Ranma-neesan so much," she reminds him. He jolts, then shudders fearfully as she leans up to him. "I normally consider it VERY rude to pry into another person's thoughts, Gosunkugi-san, but if you keep stalling with an explanation..."  
  
"IloveAkane!"  
  
"Eh?!" she blinks confusedly, then her eyes widen before she breathes out. "Oh, no, don't tell me you're ANOTHER of those idiots who loves beating up on Akane-chan all the time...!"  
  
"Are you nuts?!" he wails, shuddering like a newborn tree in the wind. "If I tried to fight her, she'd kill me!!"  
  
Kikuko steps back, then gives him an intensive look. "Yes, I can see that you aren't in good shape..." she nods, then sighs. "Well, if that's the reason for you trying to probe my weak spot, I'd recommend that you stop right now, Hikaru-san. Akane-chan and Ranma-neesan are very much in love with each other and will brook no interference in their relationship with anyone..."  
  
"I SAY THEE NEVER!!!!"  
  
Kikuko closes her eyes, snaring Kunou before he could land a strike with his weapon, then sends him flying through a CLOSED window to smack right into the swimming pool's diving board. One bounce later sends him belly-flopping into the deep end, then he sinks below the surface. Kikuko and Hikaru stare out the broken window at the submerged kendoist, the former shaking her head and the latter shivering in mortal terror from what he saw.  
  
"We show him a way to find a nice girl to date and he's STILL working himself into a lather over Akane-chan and Ranma-neesan. Depressing!" she sighs, then hearing a warning bell for the start of afternoon classes, throws up her hand in surrender. "Well, we best get to class before we're late, Hikaru-san. Ikumashou (Shall we go)?" she reaches down for his hand, indicating their class.  
  
Hikaru jolts, then shudders as the warm, SOFT feeling of Kikuko's hand holding his overwhelms him. With a moan, he drops into a dead faint at her feet. Staring at him, Kikuko blinks confusedly, then moves to fireman-carry him to class.  
  
"What a strange boy..."  
  
* * *  
  
Later...  
  
"My heavens, this is just incredible...!"  
  
A well-exercised Kodachi blushes as Toofuu examines the now-unblemished skin under the gymnast's rib cage. Tsubasa and Azusa, both equally refreshed from their bout of "intimate therapy" to heal Kodachi, sit nearby. "So am I free now to bound over many houses with my usual elan, Toofuu-sensei?" Kodachi asks.  
  
"Yes, you're more than free...as long as you avoid the wrath of dishonourable boys along the way, Kodachi-san," Toofuu nods, then turns to the two Nendo-kata nearby. "If this has to happen again, I would like to be informed and be given the chance to examine Kodachi-san first before you...well, ahem..." he flusters.  
  
Azusa and Tsubasa laugh. "We understand, Sensei," the latter replies as both rise, bowing their thanks to the chiropractor. "In the meantime, we have to get back to St. Hebereke before they burn the damned gymnasium down and 'Zusa has to get back to Kolkotz."  
  
"Alright, I'll write a note for your teachers," Toofuu nods.  
  
Minutes later, the three women walk out of his clinic, heading towards St. Hebereke hand-in-hand-in-hand. "That was fun!" Kodachi tries not to cower embarrassingly from what just happened, then smiling, kisses Azusa, then Tsubasa, on the cheek. "Thank you, 'Zusa, Tsu-chan. I never thought I'd ever experience such a purer act of lovemaking, especially with such wonderful people like you."  
  
"For you, 'Dachi, we were more than glad to help out," Azusa smiles, then sighs. "Even if this will be the only time..."  
  
"Who says that?!"  
  
Both stop, gazing curiously at Kodachi. The gymnast lets go of their hands, then turns around to gaze at them. "'Dachi, do you actually mean you want to...?" Tsubasa stutters to a surprised halt, wondering what would be the right thing to say now.  
  
"I know you consider it below form to probe someone's mind for the truth unless it is necessary, Tsu-chan," Kodachi grins, then relaxes. "Yes, I want this to be the start of something meaningful with both of you...and ONLY both of you. How could I possibly refuse the advances of such kind people as yourselves, especially after all you've done in the last three days to make me feel more comfortable with myself? I like you both very much, so what is so wrong about wanting to love you both very much?"  
  
"You might not want to say that aloud too much when it comes to your peers at school, much less the teachers, 'Dachi," Azusa warns, scratching her cheek, then she jolts. "What the...?!"  
  
"Eh?!" Tsubasa shudders, then her eyes glow as she looks off to her right. "What in the Mother's name...oh, no, what are those girls doing now?!" she races off, bounding onto a roof.  
  
"What's going on?!" Kodachi demands.  
  
"Your teammates from school...and some other group!" Azusa grabs her lover's hand, then with a telekinetically-boosted leap, sends them both off in pursuit of the rapidly vanishing Tsubasa...  
  
* * *  
  
"How DARE you attack Sempai like that?!!"  
  
Sharp ribbons snap through the air as the three Furinkan High martial arts rhythmic gymnasts move to defend themselves from twice the number of St. Hebereke fighters. Bruises and bleeding cuts cover all the people present, though the Furinkan side, outnumbered two-to-one, have taken the lion's share of injuries in this brief, savage contest. "Who says WE had anything to do with what happened to that bitch you call a team captain?!" the Furinkan leader, Akemi Uzuki, chuckles as she prepares to douse them with a storm of clubs and balls. "If she gets herself into any sort of trouble with the local boys, that's HER problem!!"  
  
"Liar!!!" Suzuko Shinyuu snaps as her friends attack...  
  
...then find their weapons yanked out of their hands!  
  
The girls collapse surprisedly onto the undeveloped lot's ground as the Furinkan team pause, staring wide-eyed at the woman in the slacks and button shirt standing nearby, everyone's ribbons wrapped around one arm. The question the three girls mentally ask is the same: *How did she DO that?!*  
  
"What's going on here?!" she demands.  
  
The St. Hebereke girls jolt. "Tsubasa-chan, why are you interfering?!" Suzuko demands, pointing accusingly at the Furinkan team. "Don't you know what these jerks did to Kunou-sempai?!!"  
  
Tsubasa sighs, then turns to the three Furinkan women before her powers pick up a storm of conflicting emotions from them, especially Akemi. "So..." she drops the equipment to the ground, then crosses her arms. "You sent those Tannin boys after 'Dachi?!"  
  
The other woman jolts, then pales as she tries to stammer out an excuse. "Don't bother denying it," Tsubasa shakes her head. "I can tell what's going on by just looking at you! And to believe you 'paid' for their services with your own body?! Shameful!"  
  
Everyone jolts at THAT broadside from Tsubasa, especially the Furinkan team captain. "HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?!?!?!" Akemi screams out, then looks down at the ground, her cheeks flaming.  
  
Silence falls as Tsubasa's words echo through their minds again and again, eyes locked on the woman who had started this. Azusa and Kodachi appear, moving to stand close to the St. Hebereke group. "What's going on here?" Kodachi demands, looking around.  
  
"Sempai...?!" Suzuko stares at her, then her eyes shoot out of her skull in disbelief. "Oi!! How'd you get well THAT fast?!!"  
  
"Courtesy of a chiropractor my brother knows, Suzuko. Now, what's going on here?" Kodachi crosses her arms, then stares at the three Furinkan gymnasts. "And why are you fighting these girls?! I thought I told you all that I'd handle this matter."  
  
"Yeah, like you handled the other teams your school's faced, eh, Kunou?!" another of the Furinkan girls, Kyooko Tomou, snarls.  
  
Kodachi sighs. "If I feel it necessary," she replies, inwardly unsure as to what should be the right thing to say in a circumstance like this. *Oh, damn, what do I do...?*  
  
Relax, 'Dachi, a voice, Tsubasa's, echoes in her head.  
  
Kodachi stares at Tsubasa, noting her eyes were closed. "No doubt, you decided on hearing about what 'Dachi did to those other teams to deal with the matter ahead of time like she did," the assistant coach opens her eyes, turning to the Furinkan team. "I suppose I can't blame you though I did talk 'Dachi into letting the tournament run fair and square. Regardless of what day and time you did fight each other, though, I would have expected you girls to fight 'Dachi and her teammates, not bring outsiders into it."  
  
"Especially the type of outsiders who would've raped 'Dachi after wounding her enough to force her to forfeit her role in the match," Azusa adds, "...not to mention force you to surrender your own innocence so that you could get their 'help' in dealing with 'Dachi," her eyes then fall on Akemi.  
  
Eyes lock on the woman, especially Kodachi. "You...?!!" the St. Hebereke team captain shudders, a whirling storm of outrage, scalding pain and long-buried shame roaring up from the depths of her heart, then her foot kicks up a ribbon. "DAMN YOU!!!!"  
  
"Sempai!!!" Suzuko cries out.  
  
The Furinkan girls don't stand a chance as the ribbon lashes out, tightly snaring their wrists and ankles, then jerking hard to dislocate those joints and force them to their knees. Tsubasa moves to stop her, but before she could form a telekinetic bubble to entrap her lover, Kodachi screams out in pain as she drops the ribbon, then lunges for a nearby rooftop, racing off.  
  
"I'll get her!" Azusa calls as she chases after Kodachi.  
  
The other St. Hebereke girls exchange a look, then turn as one to Tsubasa, ignoring the whimpering Furinkan girls at their feet. "What's with Kunou-sempai, Tsubasa-chan?! She's never acted like that as long as I've known her!" Suzuko demands.  
  
Tsubasa sighs, shaking her head. "This is a mess...!" she mutters, then sighs. "Look, get your gear, then head back to the school. I'll get these girls to the doctor's office. Leave 'Dachi to 'Zusa there; she'll know what to do. We'll TALK about this when we get the chance, alright?!" she evenly stares at the other women.  
  
They shudder as the coach's eyes bore into them, then weakly nod as they collect their weapons, then depart. Once they are gone, Tsubasa then turns to the three Furinkan girls. "So much for a fair and friendly competition, eh?" she bends down to help them to their feet for the short trip to Toofuu Ono's clinic...  
  
* * *  
  
*Alien...?!*  
  
Hikaru Gosunkugi shudders, sitting in his usual spot at the back corner of the classroom. His eyes are locked on the Saotome triplets in the middle of the collection of desks, then they fall on Akane, still in her position between Ranma and Ranko. Ukyou now sat in front of Akane while Shampoo was on the left side of Ranko. A second later, Kikuko turns around to gaze quizzically at Hikaru, making him shy behind his math textbook. Kikuko shakes her head bemusedly as she turns back to her own work. Fortunately, the teacher was of the "say-it-once-and-get-it-over-with" school of lecturing, which was a quick way to put forty students to sleep.  
  
*You're an alien, Kikuko-san...?* Hikaru thinks to himself, shuddering as a storm of conflicting thoughts and emotions roil through his brain. As a would-be student of the art of voodoo (who wisely chose to study other mystical matters so that he could have as "rounded" an education in spiritual matters as possible), he didn't pay much attention to matters of a "science fiction" nature. This was despite the fact that Tomobiki, Japan's acknowledged focal point of Terran-alien affairs, was a district over from Furinkan. Yet to actually meet someone who...well, at least had a parent who hailed from another planet out there in that vast universe...  
  
Hikaru-san, ogenki desu ka (are you alright)?  
  
The soft voice echoes in his mind as he feels a gentle, loving warmth surge through his body. What a strange, unique feeling this was! With that, sensing renewed strength firm him, he glances over his book to see Kikuko's face tilted his way, her eyes closed. Oh, that's right, she said that her eyes normally glowed when she used her telepathic powers. With that, he turns back to his book, taking a deep breath. *H-hai, d-daijobu desu (I-I'm okay)...* he purposefully thinks in hopes of answering her telepathic hail.  
  
No, you're not, Hikaru-san. Gomen ne.  
  
That causes him to jolt. *Why are you apologizing to me?!*  
  
I didn't mean to shock you with blurting out my origins like that, Kikuko mentally "giggles," causing goosebumps to dance over his body. That felt so...so...so NICE! You caught me at a bad time. Kunou-san's been concentrating on breaking apart Akane-chan and Ranma-neesan; today's the first time he's focused on me.  
  
*I can understand why he wants to do that,* Hikaru muses.  
  
True. Despite his many delusions, one has to admire his good taste in potential life-mates...but if he can't make himself realize that Akane-chan doesn't want him, then all he's going to be in for is a lot of physical and emotional pain, Kikuko sighs.  
  
*I know how that feels.*  
  
Hikaru-san, even if at this time, Akane-chan wouldn't want anything to do with you, how do you hope to win the attention of a nice girl if you don't come forth and say what you feel?  
  
Psychic silence falls as he considers that, then he sighs. *It's hard sometimes, Kikuko-san.*  
  
Hai, I can understand that, I suppose. Puberty for your kind must seem so confusing. It's no wonder so many of you suffer; without any sort of decent guidance from your parents and incorrect guidance from peers... Kikuko shudders, then sighs.  
  
*What's it like for your kind?*  
  
Oh, we don't disguise what happens. It's a mo-...parent's most sacred responsibility to her da-...children to ensure that they understand their role in the continuance of our Gr-...race, Kikuko is quick to catch herself from blurting too many confusing details to Hikaru. It would do him no good to shock him so badly in the middle of math class. We best discuss this at a better time, Hikaru-san. There's so much I want to tell you, so much that you do deserve to know, but if I unload it now...  
  
*Hai, that's true. Arigatou, Kikuko-san.*  
  
Dou itashimashita (You're welcome).  
  
The warm feeling gently fades as Hikaru finds himself better able to concentrate on his math text. Yet a new feeling seems to rise from deep in his heart. For the first time in a LONG while, someone was actually willing to open up to him, forge some sense of understanding with him. Given his looks and shy nature, Hikaru Gosunkugi could hardly claim to have any friends at Furinkan High School. Yet now...could he see Kikuko Tendou as one?  
  
Well, at least she was a Tendou...!  
  
The bell mercifully rings minutes later. "That's all for today, minna-san," the teacher cuts over quickly from his droned lecture, then draws up his books and heads out.  
  
The students release a sigh of content relief, then move to relax for the short break separating math from science class. With that, Kikuko rises, walking back to kneel beside Hikaru. Sensing her gazing at him, Hikaru feels his cheeks flame, then he tries to shy away from her. "Why, do I bite THAT badly?" Kikuko barbs.  
  
He yelps, then finds himself chuckling before sensing someone else approach. "Oi, Kiku-chan, who's your new friend?" Ukyou asks.  
  
Kikuko does the introductions. Ukyou hums, then stares at Hikaru, quick to sense the odd variations of empathic and psionic matrices wrapped around him indicative to a Nendo-kata of someone with a lot of spiritual potential. "Pleased to meetcha, Hi-chan," the okonomiyaki chef reaches over to squeeze his hand, smiling contently. "Hope Kiku-chan didn't burn you out too much there."  
  
"Eh?!" Hikaru jolts, then his eyes widen. "Are you...?" he catches himself, then thinks, *Are you like Kikuko-san?!*  
  
Yep. So're Ran-chan and Ranko-chan, by the way, Ukyou closes her eyes. Don't worry; we sensed Kiku-chan talking to you, but we didn't eavesdrop. To do that when someone wants to privately converse with a friend's rude were we come from.  
  
*S-soo ka,* Hikaru stammers, then feels Kikuko's hand touch his shoulder. Glancing at her, he feels his mind fade out. "She t-touched m-me...!" he stammers before collapsing to the floor.  
  
"Oh, my!!" quotes Kikuko in a Kasumi-esque gesture.  
  
Ukyou has the civility to not laugh. "Geez, he's as gun-shy around women as Ryouga is!!" she covers her mouth.  
  
The door crashes open. "***HOLD!!!!!!***"  
  
Eyes turn as a groan flows through the class, locking on Kunou now at the doorway. His still-damp hakama and soaked hair, atop several cuts and bruises on his face, indicate the level of damage Kikuko did to him earlier. "What now, Baka-sempai?!" Ranko sighs, crossing her arms. "Haven't had enough punishment?!"  
  
"Enough!!!" Kunou slams his bokan stick on a desk, then turns towards Kikuko. "I will NOT stop until I have freed you...!!"  
  
An incensed roar escapes from the middle of the class as Akane bolts from her chair, lunging at Kunou with Mallet-sama held high. "GET THE HINT, JERK!!!! LEAVE US ALL ALONE!!!!!!" she bellows.  
  
Kunou sidesteps her hammer strike, then lashes out with his bokan stick. "HIYAAAA!!!! TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!!!!"  
  
Akane yelps with stunned surprise as the storm of bokan thrusts slashes through Mallet-sama's handle, causing the head to drop right on her skull! Before she could recover, Kunou is over her, aiming right at her face. Just as the wooden shaft is about to cave in her skull, the bokan stick is snared by a hand as Kunou is picked up, then propelled through a closed window by Ranma.  
  
"Stupid idiot, leave MY life-mate alone!!!" she bellows.  
  
Kunou howls as he smashes head-first through the glass, then falls to the ground, cracking the concrete on the walkway below before collapsing in a near-dead heap. Everyone gathers by the window to gaze down at the unmoving kendoist. "Is he still alive after all that?!" Hiroshi wonders, shaking his head.  
  
"He's just too dumb to realize he should be dead," Daisuke crosses his arms, eyes turning heavenward. "What a nutcase!"  
  
"Got that right," Sayuri nods.  
  
Ranma breathes out, then rises, shaking her head. "Damn it, what's setting him off now?!" she walks over to the window, staring at Kunou. "If this keeps up, someone IS going to get hurt bad!!"  
  
A wave of shame, anger and fear floods her senses, then she turns to see Akane still on her knees, shaking badly from what just happened. Ranma winces, then moves to comfort. As her hands reach down to touch Akane, a hand bats them away. "Don't...!!!" Akane blurts out, then shudders as a wave of calm surges through her.  
  
Relax, Akane! Ranma closes her eyes as she moves to lift Akane up, heading to the window. C'mon, U-chan!  
  
Right behind you, Ran-chan, Ukyou acknowledges, then turns to the rest of the class. "We're gonna give A-chan a chance to get herself back together again. Tell Kobatsu-sensei, okay?!"  
  
"Okay, Ukyou-san," Yuka nods.  
  
They vanish through the window, then leap up onto the roof. The other students exchange looks. "I've never seen Akane lose control of herself like that before," Sayuri muses.  
  
"Not surprising, Sayuri-chan. That's the first time I know of that someone's defeated Akane's mallet," Daisuke muses.  
  
"Has she always depended on that mallet when she deals with people like Stick-boy?" Shampoo wonders.  
  
"With him and other perverts, yeah."  
  
The Nyu-che-zuu warrior shakes her head. "Bad habit to get into," she exchanges a knowing look with Ranko.  
  
"Got that right, Airen," Ranko nods. "She's been coddled way too much. If this keeps up, sooner or later..."  
  
The others grimly nod...  
  
* * *  
  
"He...he...oh, gods, he...he...!"  
  
"There, there, Akane, relax," Ranma whispers, running her hands through Akane's silky hair, keeping the latter close to her as she allows Akane the chance to finally break down the emotional walls and let her feelings flow forth. They kneel on the roof near the top of the central stairwell beside the clock tower, Ukyou hovering nearby protectively. "It's okay, it's gonna be okay. It was a lucky strike and he was pretty righteously pissed. Kikuko's been kicking the jerk around all damned day..."  
  
"Ranma, stop coddling me!!" Akane hisses, then lowers her eyes ashamedly on sensing the Nendo-kata tense. "Oh, gomen..."  
  
"Sumimasen," Ranma tries to smile, then moves to shift Akane's tear-streaked face so they could gaze into the other's eyes. "Oi, oi, things like being good in martial arts don't happen overnight, remember? Remember what we told you this morning?"  
  
"Y-yeah...!" Akane stutters, then sighs, leaning into Ranma's front as a hand reaches out for Ukyou's. "Damn...damn me...why didn't I see it...why didn't I pick up on it...?!"  
  
The chef kneels beside her, reaching over to run her hand through Akane's hair as her fingers lace through Akane's, Ranma's hand wrapping around their grasped hand in a show of solidarity. "Maybe people didn't want you to pick it up, A-chan," Ukyou sighs.  
  
"B-but...wh-WHY?!!" Akane snaps, her eyes blazing with wounded rage. "I'm a martial artist too, U-chan!! Why couldn't they...?!"  
  
"Maybe you being a martial artist scares them," Ranma hums.  
  
Akane shudders, then taking a deep breath to dry away the tears, leans back to stare into Ranma's eyes. "Why...?"  
  
"I dunno," Ranma shakes her head, then essays a concerned smile, hoping Akane didn't take what she was about to say the wrong way. "Hard to predict what's going on around here now. Maybe that 'creeping conquest' theory of mine from when I first came was more on the mark than I first suspected. Maybe it was because your dad didn't instill the same sort of all-out, never-surrender drive to succeed at the martial arts that Oyaji did to me. Maybe..." she lowers her eyes. *Oh, Mother, please give me the strength...!*  
  
"Akane, I haven't emphasized this a lot beforehand because I didn't want to seem like I was trying to demean you or insult you...but by the looks of it, you really have got to do something about your buried anger," Ranma reaches over to gently squeeze Akane's shoulders. "We all can give you all the encouragement we can...but it'll do nothing for you unless you find it in yourself to take control of that anger...and not let it control you."  
  
Akane shudders, a swell of outrage boiling deep in her heart, then on interpreting Ranma's concerned look, feels a wash of regret and shame flood her soul. No! No!! NO!!! This was the person who was trying to HELP her, not hurt her, not insult her, not...! She squeezes her eyes shut as she leans against Ranma, fresh sobs stealing her voice. How?! How could she lash out at Ranma or Ukyou, demean all that Ranma and Ukyou wanted to do for her?!  
  
Did she...was it because she found it too hard to confront herself, understand what problems she did have?  
  
Was it because...?  
  
Did they...know?  
  
Akane sniffs, then gently pulls back from Ranma, staring into those warm sapphire orbs. She then draws Ukyou over so she could look at them both without turning her head. Her mouth opens as she moves to say something, then she shakes her head violently. "N-not here..." she whispers. "Take me home...please, let's go home..."  
  
"No problem, A-chan," Ukyou nods as she and Ranma help Akane up, then with a telekinetic leap, fly off to the Tendou dojo...  
  
* * *  
  
Later...  
  
"What the HELL happened?!!"  
  
Nabiki shudders, her whole body quaking as she faces Ranko, Kikuko and Shampoo under a tree near the front gate of the school after last class. All three of the younger women carry Ranma's, Akane's and Ukyou's bookbags, having told the science teacher about the attack by Kunou and how much it had badly rattled Akane.  
  
"She nearly got her face caved in by Kunou-bakayaro when he tried to 'cleanse' her in math, 'Biki," Ranko shakes her head. "Ranma-neechan and U-chan got her to the roof where she pretty much broke down. They took her home as soon as they could."  
  
"It's my fault, Nabiki-neesan," Kikuko bows her head. "I was very rough with Kunou-san today..."  
  
"Whoa, don't blame yourself for that idiot's actions!" Nabiki snaps, then sighs. "So she found out that the mallet don't work all the time. Shit...and by Kunou-chan of all people...?"  
  
"We have to pick up her training, Nabiki," Shampoo warns. "If she really wants to call herself a martial artist, she has to have the same dedication to the Art as we do."  
  
"Yeah, she did always treat it like a hobby at times...that is until Kunou-chan got stupid," Nabiki nods understandingly.  
  
"There's one more thing," Ranko breathes out.  
  
Nabiki stares at her. "What?"  
  
"'Biki...," Ranko takes a deep breath, then closes her eyes. "It's time to air some things out. We know Akane was raped once."  
  
Silence.  
  
Shampoo pales, disgust and shock roaring from her heart...in the Nyu-che-zuu, it was the SUPREME dishonour for a warrior to be abused in THAT manner...then stares at Nabiki. The middle Tendou daughter is rocked by Ranko's statement, she taking a step back. Kikuko bows her head. Ranko remains calm, though a sympathetic smile crosses her face. Nabiki bites her lip as she feels a surge of tears well up, then she senses a gentle hand touch her cheek.  
  
"Oi, it's cool. It's gonna be alright," Ranko soothes. "That hurt you all, not just Akane, 'Biki...but I think it's long since time you stopped hurting, don'tcha think?"  
  
Nabiki blinks, then a rare warm smile crosses her face. "Thanks, Ko-chan..." she whispers, gripping Ranko's arm, then she sighs. "Shit, I should've realized your empathic powers would've picked up on that. You've known all along, haven't you?"  
  
"Hai, Nee-san, we have," Kikuko nods.  
  
"Why didn't you...?"  
  
"It's considered quite rude among the Great School to rip open wounds like that unless the people who're suffering speak up first, 'Biki," Ranko warns. "But right now, Akane's anger and shame over what happened have come to blind her in some pretty vital areas. In a way, what happened this afternoon may've been a blessing in disguise for her, wake her up to what's going on."  
  
Nabiki blinks, then smiles. "Thanks, Ko-chan...all of you," her eyes fall on Kikuko and Shampoo.  
  
"Did you catch the one responsible?" Shampoo wonders.  
  
A cloud of burning outrage then settles over the middle Tendou daughter. "No," she hisses. "Even now...I...I've tried to trace the sons-of-bitches down, but it's been four years..."  
  
Shampoo nods, then turns to her fiancee. "Airen, could you track this beast down even now with your powers?"  
  
"That'll be up to Nee-chan and U-chan, Xian," Ranko sighs. "Let them settle out what's going on with Akane, then we'll decide what to do next. Yes, we can trace this creep down using Akane's memories, but that requires a deep mental probe. It's best that Akane's future life-mates handle that, not me. I wouldn't even trust one of the School of Sages in a case like this...but when it comes to help you all recover," her eyes turn to Nabiki, "...I think Ryooko'll be more than happy to help there, 'Biki."  
  
"I..." Nabiki moves to refuse her, then she nods. "Alright, I can...I suppose if it'll help..."  
  
"You have to make that final decision, 'Biki," Ranko pats her shoulder, then nods to the gate. "C'mon, let's go home."  
  
The others nod, turning to follow her, then they are stopped by a pain-tinged voice. "Hold, fair...!!"  
  
Ranko and Kikuko spin around, chi glowing in their hands:  
  
"***KIBARA NO TOGE ARASHI!!!!!!***"  
  
"***UZUMAKI-KEN!!!!!!***"  
  
Kunou is slammed in the gut with two bolts of heavy chi, sending the hapless kendoist sailing across campus, twirling around like a runaway top. Smashing into the far fence, he collapses to the ground, quite still. Ranko and Kikuko relax, then turn to their friends. "C'mon, let's beat tracks!" the former smiles.  
  
"Damn, you girls are really effective when you do that, aren't you?!" Nabiki laughs as they stream through the gate.  
  
"Why do you think I want to marry one of them, Nabiki?" Shampoo laughs as she laces her arm around Ranko's...  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, 'Dachi...!!"  
  
Azusa drifts between stunned outrage and horrified sympathy as she stares at a wet-cheeked Kodachi, both seated in the former's bedroom at the Shiratori mansion. "H-hai, 'Zusa, it's all true..." the gymnast whispers, then hugs herself. "I...gods, I can't start to believe that...she would gladly do THAT just to elicit some help just to ensure...oh, damn it all, this is all MY fault...!!"  
  
"No, it's not your...!!" Azusa snaps.  
  
"Oh, no, not that, love!!!" Kodachi stops her, then smiles as she leans up to kiss Azusa. "I know that despite...what I've often felt at times when I re-...r-remember...what happened four years ago wasn't the least bit my fault. But by attacking other schools' teams before that, I made this situation possible...I..." she takes a deep breath, then looks down. "I've dug myself into this damned hole and now...I don't know how I can get out of it...I..."  
  
"Alright, fair enough," Azusa draws her into an embrace, then breathes out. "Look, right now, you...have to tell something to the others on your team. They care for you, 'Dachi...and this is going to worry them a lot, confuse them greatly, unless you come out with what happened and why. But right now, why don't we just go get Tsu-chan, then get something to eat, okay? I think we can do a lot more thinking when we've filled ourselves up, alright?"  
  
"I..." Kodachi pauses, then nods. "Alright..."  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


	8. Intimate Therapy

"How are they, Toofuu-sensei?"  
  
Toofuu steps out of the examination room, staring at Tsubasa as the latter sets a fashion magazine aside. "Well, outside of resetting their bones, then splinting their ankles and wrists into place to give them mobility, I can't do much for them, Tsubasa-san. Unless..." a bemused smile crosses the chiropractor's face.  
  
Tsubasa's cheeks redden slightly. "Gomen ne. That sort of therapy only works best with one's chosen life-mate or would-be life-mate. One such as I would have to be a true healer before I could do this to near-strangers like them. Oh, did you...?"  
  
"Yes...and no, she's not," Toofuu nods.  
  
"Alright. I better go talk to them."  
  
With that, Tsubasa steps into the examination room. At present, three dishevelled, bruised Furinkan High students sit on side-by-side beds, the gloom hanging over them almost palatable. Sympathy washes over the assistant coach as she draws up a chair, to sit down across from Akemi Uzuki, the Furinkan rhythmic gymnastics martial arts team captain. "How are you?!"  
  
They jolt, staring wide-eyed at the newcomer, then sad smiles cross their faces. "Thank you for helping us, Kurenai-sensei," Kyooko Tomou gently greets Tsubasa. "I only wish the members of your school's team were as honourable as you are."  
  
"I've only been working there for two days, actually...and please, minna-chan, call me Tsubasa," Tsubasa gently smiles, then turns to Akemi. "How are you doing, Akemi-chan?"  
  
Akemi jolts, then shudders. "How did you know?"  
  
"As I said before, I have a special ability when it comes to reading other people," Tsubasa replies. "It's...similar to what Toofuu-sensei uses to help diagnose his patients. At least you can be thankful that you don't have to live with the results of your 'payment' to that fellow from Tannin for the rest of your life."  
  
"I had protection," Akemi mutters, then winces.  
  
Yagami Mizuho stares at her. "How could you do that sort of thing, Akemi-chan?! Was this creep really THAT bad?!"  
  
"Hai, Yagami-chan...and then some," Akemi sighs.  
  
"Agreed. When he and his pals attacked 'Dachi and I, I got a nice cut up here," Tsubasa reaches up to reveal the light scar on her forehead above her left eye, "...as a result."  
  
"It's almost healed!" Kyooko gapes.  
  
"I'm a pretty fast healer, too," Tsubasa lets her hair down, then sighs. "Well, we've got a bit of a problem now. Even with what Toofuu-sensei could do for you, none of you are in shape to face off against the St. Hebereke team next week."  
  
"If, of course, they'll let us recover," Yagami notes, then winces before bowing her eyes. "Sumimasen..."  
  
"Daijobu desu yo, Yagami-chan," Tsubasa smiles. "You had every right to say something like that given the way my friends've dealt with their foes before I came to work at St. Hebereke. And yes, I am serious when I said that I am moving to change that. I really wanted this to be a fair contest for both sides, ladies. Do you think you can find someone to take your place by the time the tournament comes up? I think I can convince the organizers to make it a single one-on-one match given that yours is a small team."  
  
"We're the only ones who practice this full time at Furinkan, Tsubasa-san," Akemi admits, then hums. "Wait a minute..."  
  
"Nani?" Kyooko wonders.  
  
Akemi jolts, then snaps her fingers. "We could ask Akane!"  
  
The others hum. Tsubasa keeps her peace, though she has a pretty good idea who the Furinkan girls are talking about given what she had sensed about what goes on in Nerima from Kodachi and Tatewaki. "She's not as athletic as I'd like, Akemi..." Yagami warns, then blinks. "Oi!! What about the Saotome girls?!"  
  
"Yeah, they're in fantastic shape!!! I saw Ranko-san in the showers one day!! Cripes, I'd KILL for a body like that!!!" Kyooko quakes excitedly, then hums. "There's that Chinese girl, too!!"  
  
"Looks like we're not out of the contest yet!" Akemi nods. "Yoshi!! Alright, let's head over there and talk it over!"  
  
"That's wonderful!" Tsubasa sighs, rising to leave. "Look, I'll keep my crew under a tight leash for the next while, but you better promise me to be on your best behaviour, okay?!"  
  
"Hai!!" the Furinkan gymnasts readily nod.  
  
"Yokatta (Wonderful)!" Tsubasa nods, then stares intently at Akemi. "You dodged a bullet today, Akemi-chan. You might not be so lucky about it next time. Promise me you'll be careful, okay?!"  
  
Akemi jolts, then her eyes water. "Hai, I promise."  
  
"Great! Have a good night, girls!" Tsubasa waves.  
  
She steps out. Akemi, Kyooko and Yagami watch her go, then sigh. "Wow, I wish she was working for us!" the latter muses.  
  
"Amen to that..." Kyooko grins...  
  
* * *  
  
"Three Sisters"  
by Fred Herriot  
fherriot@yahoo.com  
**** **** ****  
Edited by E.B. Kushnir kush1@iaw.on.ca  
With C&C by Kevin D. Hammel khammel@pacbell.net, Robert Geiger robertgeiger@prodigy.net and Robert Masters rdm@perv.DAILix.oz.au  
**** **** ****  
Based on "Ranma 1/2" created by Rumiko Takahashi  
**** **** ****  
  
PART EIGHT - INTIMATE THERAPY  
  
"Tadaima!!"  
  
"Okaeri ne!" Ranma looks up from the guest house's kitchen, then smiles as Nabiki, Ranko, Kikuko and Shampoo stream inside. "Thanks for bringing our stuff! Sorry we took off like that..."  
  
"You had every right to get away when you did, Nee-chan," Ranko smirks as the bookbags are set aside, then everyone sits down around the dining table. "Believe it or not, Kunou-bakayaro tried to attack us AGAIN after you dunked him outta the classroom just as last period was letting out. Geez, with the amount of crap we're heaping on him, the guy's gotta be as tough as Ryouga!!"  
  
"Idiot..." Ranma shakes her head as Shampoo walks up to take turns monitoring their dinner, then walks over to sit at the table. "That's FIVE times today alone for him!! What gives...?!"  
  
"And this AFTER what Elder Ryooko did?! That man needs help!" Kikuko shakes her head, then sighs. "Where's Akane-chan?"  
  
"Asleep. U-chan's watching over her. We're gonna give her the chance to collect herself, then we'll finally get the story out of her," Ranma takes a breath, then turns to her sisters. "Not a word of this to the old folks, okay?! I'm not sure how Kaa-san's going to react on hearing this, much less Oyaji..."  
  
"Agreed," Ranko and Kikuko nod.  
  
The door to Ranma's bedroom opens, revealing Ukyou. "How is she, Ukyou?" Shampoo wonders as the chef sits down beside Ranma.  
  
"Dreaming," the chef sits down at the dinner table. "Bad dreams. The type which reminded me of how my old school died."  
  
Nabiki stares at her, shivering. "How does...?"  
  
"It compare to A-chan being raped?" Ukyou returns her look, then sighs. "How would anyone feel about being raped, 'Biki? The loss of control. No sense of justice. The complete...WRONGNESS of it. The helplessness. The...sense of unworthiness..." her voice trails off, then, "When one of us suddenly becomes a wanderer, we feel the very same emotions. I come from a school of twelve, 'Biki. I'm the last of that school. They...they were going to fight some non-corporeal entity...like a soul-vampire...feeding from this one village on a planet...geez, in another galaxy. I...oh, Mother, I begged, PLEADED, with them to let me be with them. But I was the bard, the one the Mother chose to carry my school's story back to the Great School if need be. But...maybe, maybe if I was part of them, my school...m-my family...could've survived..." her voice breaks, then she sighs. "Oh, damn..."  
  
"How long ago was that, Ukyou?" Shampoo whispers respectfully.  
  
"Almost five hundred years ago," Ukyou shakes her head.  
  
Nabiki and Shampoo shudder. "Gods, alone for THAT long...?" the former hoarsely exclaims, then bows her head. "Why...why do you people do this? Go fight all these things, ready to die...?!"  
  
Ukyou sighs, then stares at her. "If we didn't do it, 'Biki, who WOULD do it? You know...there're Great Schools in the Cosmic Chain of Life that were blessed with great physical or spiritual power. There are other Great Schools who're not so blessed. Each Great School develops at different speeds in comparison to others. Because of that, your Great School can hardly travel to your own moon while most of your galactic neighbours have warp capability. You wanna know something, 'Biki? When you have a situation like that, it's almost guaranteed that the 'superior' race would move to impose themselves on the 'inferior' race. It's always happened."  
  
"Even with good intentions, Nee-san," Kikuko adds. "You have two Great Schools meet out there somewhere. One is very advanced, one not so advanced. The more advanced school introduces concepts and ideas the less advanced school can't really handle for whatever reason. And it hurts them, physically and spiritually. But unless the more advanced school has the right foresight...and they RARELY do in situations like that, Nee-san...people get hurt. That's why we go forth to fight. The Unity is for ALL living beings, Nee-san, not just the select few who made it into space first."  
  
Nabiki blinks, then sighs. "Some could say you're interfering by taking up other people's battles."  
  
"Perhaps, but when you compare our actions to the actions of those like the Lannarkites..." Ranma spits out disgustedly, then she relaxes, "...the difference often's like day and night."  
  
"I remember when I visited this one place after my school passed into the dark," Ranko purses her lips, then gazes at Nabiki. "There's this race...well, they're a race of hunters, put simply. But these guys hunt other sentient beings for sport...sorta like a really perverse test of manliness or something like that."  
  
"Oh, I know those guys!! Shit, arrogant or what?!" Ranma sneers. "Kiku-chan and I took out another of them on this other planet...cripes, Ko-chan, this must've been just before we met!"  
  
Nabiki looks ready to vomit. "They...HUNT people?!"  
  
"Yeah, they do!" Ranko nods. "Well, the creep I took on had never bumped into a Nendo-kata before...so when it dawned on him that I was going to be a challenge, he thought, 'Oh, this is the hunt of a lifetime! Wait until I tell all my friends about this one!'" A snort escapes her. "He never got the chance."  
  
"You did a good thing, Airen," Shampoo nods approvingly.  
  
"Yeah...and strange as this'll sound, Xian, he didn't hate me when he died," Ranko's gaze turns tranquil. "Before he slipped into the dark...he looked at me and said, 'Good fight.' To him, he was dying with his honour intact because I treated him fairly. And I reflected on it...and I thought to myself, 'What a damned shame they don't think to do the same thing to those they hunt.'"  
  
Nabiki takes a deep breath, then sighs. "Could you please change the topic, Ko-chan, minna..."  
  
They look on her. "Now you see your problem," Ranma sighs.  
  
"What the fuck does THAT mean?!!" Nabiki snaps.  
  
"Simple," Ranma remains calm. "Your mom died when you were thirteen or so. Nabiki, I grieve for you, all of you. All of you grieved in your own way, came to terms with what happened...which is natural, by the way...and then Akane gets raped. Then look what happens. Your dad falls apart, Kasumi cuts herself off totally from the outside world, you decide you're gonna get them before they get you...and not one of you ever thinks of trying to help Akane deal with all the horrible things she felt. She's your SISTER!! Your little baby sister, for cryin' out loud!! How could you just ABANDON her like that, Nabiki?!"  
  
Nabiki bolts back, her eyes flashing with outrage at the venom of Ranma's accusation, then her control cracks as tears spill down her cheeks. "None of us...knew how, Ranma...!" she exclaims, then rises, running out of the house before they could hear her sobs.  
  
The others watch her go, then sigh. "Who's gonna call Elder Ryooko?" Ukyou rises, heading to the stove.  
  
"I'll call her," Kikuko rises, heading out.  
  
Ranma exhales, then shakes her head before sensing Shampoo staring at her. "What is it, Xian?"  
  
"That was very hard for you to do, wasn't it?" Shampoo smiles.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma nods.  
  
"Hibaa-chan was right all along," the Nyu-che-zuu warrior sighs, heading to her bedroom. "You have to watch out for that, Ranma. Helping people is good and noble in and of itself but helping them too much hurts worse than not helping at all."  
  
She heads off, Ranko following her. Ranma watches them leave, then sighs, staring at the table. A meow causes her to jolt, then she turns to see a cat standing by the open patio door. Shivering lightly, she sighs, beckoning the furry visitor inside. "Hi, there, friend..." she breathes out as the cat hops into her lap, then snuggles close. "You guys are so lucky compared to us."  
  
The cat purrs, leaning up to lick Ranma's cheek...  
  
* * *  
  
"So what happened to Akane?"  
  
Kasumi stares concernedly at Kikuko as both relax in the living room of the Tendou home. Souun was presently off visiting Genma and Nodoka at their home while Nabiki had barred herself in her room. "She...lost control today, Onee-san...and Kunou was very quick to capitalize on it. Like it or not, she has to really work hard at the Art from now on if she really wants to earn the respect she craves as a martial artist...and that's not to mention resolve what happened four years ago in her mind and heart."  
  
Kasumi tenses, then closes her eyes. Kikuko stares at her, then smiles, reaching over to grip her sister's hand. "It's alright, Nee-san," she soothes. "You all need this."  
  
"I..." the older Tendou daughter squeezes her eyes shut, then she sniffs back her tears. "Oh, gods, how could such people exist in this world, Kikuko? How could...how could they do that to her? All she wanted was to visit places where she and Kaa-san had such wonderful times...and then...and then..." she shudders, forcing the palms of her hands into her eye sockets. "Kaa-san..."  
  
Kikuko slides over to draw Kasumi into an embrace. "It's alright, Nee-san. Let it out. Let it out, please..."  
  
Sobs steal Kasumi's voice as she holds onto Kikuko tightly, words barely audible in that heart-wrenching moan escaping her. Closing her eyes, Kikuko concentrates, her powers reaching out gently to touch those parts of Kasumi's memories concerning Kimiko and Akane. An image flashes through her mind, then she smiles, concentrating as she senses a quick burst towards Ranma.  
  
At that moment, Kasumi stops shaking, she sitting up to gaze quizzically at Kikuko. "Wh-...what did you just do?" she stammers.  
  
Kikuko bows her eyes apologetically. "Sumimasen, Onee-san. I didn't mean to pry like that...but I think Ranma-neesan would like to do something tonight to help Akane-chan start to heal."  
  
Kasumi blinks, then her eyes widen understandingly. "The swings in the park several blocks away from here?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
The older Tendou daughter considers that, then she nods. "Yes, that would be good for her, I think."  
  
Kimiko smiles, then sighs, gently squeezing Kasumi's hands. "Now, let's do something for you, Onee-san..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Hello, Nabiki."  
  
Nabiki jolts, then spins around to see a tall woman standing by her open window, dressed in a familiar orange tunic and black track pants, a tiger-striped bandanna wrapped around and through her close-cropped hair. She then takes several deep breaths before calming herself. "Ryooko-san...jeez, how'd you...?"  
  
"Your window was open," the dreamweaver chuckles amusedly as she walks over to sit on Nabiki's bed. "I'm sorry, but I think you needed to be shocked away from sinking yourself too deeply into your own self-pity. Some introspection is always a very healthy thing to do, too much of it can hurt badly..."  
  
"Just like not enough hurts," Nabiki sighs. "I assume someone called you over to talk to us."  
  
"Hai, Kikuko-chan did," Ryooko nods. "Oh, if you wish to know, my sister's arrived and she's undergoing the Crossing Over right now. As fortune would have it, Nii-chan's sister Junko also came by, so she's acting as my sister's DNA template." A content smile crosses her face. "It appears my efforts in reuniting my new family are working out much better than expected."  
  
"So the little guy in Ryouga's head'll be free just like Kikuko-chan, eh? That's wonderful. What'll she call herself?"  
  
"Ameko Hibiki. Oh, she's going to be stirring things up when she's done the Crossing Over..." her eyes roll over.  
  
"What do you mean?" Nabiki perks up.  
  
"She's...as we say it, 'a little out there.' In other words, she's spent too long away from any of the Great School...well over eight hundred years, to be exact," Ryooko shudders.  
  
Nabiki nods understandingly. "That's a long time."  
  
"Very. We were separated when her mother took her out into the Cosmic Chain of Life and I was taken to train with the others in the School of Sages," Ryooko laments. "Shortly afterward, her mother...my co-parent...died. Ameko absorbed all her knowledge and training, then decided to spend time with herself. Lore Mistresses are like that, but Ameko...went a little too far, I think."  
  
"'Lore Mistress?' Is she some sort of historian?"  
  
"The same idea applies," Ryooko nods. "I deal with the 'what can be.' Ameko deals with the 'what was.'"  
  
"Soo ka," Nabiki sighs. "You know, Ranma and the others were talking about...all the crap they went through fighting for this Unity you believe in...jeez, how can you live through all that...?"  
  
"We do because we feel it's the right thing to do, Nabiki," Ryooko smiles. "In essence, if we didn't do it, who would?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so..." Nabiki takes a deep breath.  
  
Sensing that the middle Tendou daughter felt herself trapped between falling back on her usual detachment from emotions and wanting to vent herself free from what happened with Akane...not to mention how the fallout from that affected Nabiki...Ryooko hums, then walks over to pick up one of Nabiki's cameras. She jolts, then relaxes on sensing that the dreamweaver had no desire to destroy it; that camera was damned EXPENSIVE!  
  
"Why do you do this, Nabiki?" Ryooko asks. "Take pictures of Akane, then sell them to your schoolmates. Why?"  
  
"Believe it or not, it pays the bills for this place," Nabiki frowns lightly. "I know...it's not right...shit, especially after what Akane went through...but like it or not, there are people out there who'll pay big time for pictures of her..."  
  
"Tatewaki, for example."  
  
"Yeah," Nabiki nods. "And since Dad doesn't teach classes in the dojo and Kasumi works her butt off to keep the place clean and nice, putting meals on the table, Akane can't work unless it's during the breaks and neither can I..." she pauses, then sighs.  
  
"Does Akane know of this?"  
  
"I...no, I've never told her," Nabiki shakes her head. "But she's not an idiot. She's seen pictures of her that I've taken and sold. But...not the part about my sinking the payment for those pics into the house's budget and all that, no."  
  
"You best make sure you explain this to her soon. I suspect that if Ranma does succeed in helping Akane open up more, she'll start to question a lot of what goes on here, including what you do without her expressed permission. So..." Ryooko pauses, then asks. "Tell me something, Nabiki. How good are you with this?"  
  
She taps the camera. Nabiki smiles. "I'd like to think I'm pretty good with it. Not professional, but I do know a lot of the normal photography tricks. When I take shots of Akane, for example, I make them look suggestive, not smutty."  
  
"If Ranma and the others offered to pose for you, would you show them the same courtesy?" Ryooko wonders.  
  
"Of course I would. They're family now. Much that at times I've had to do things they may not like, I do have limits!"  
  
"Alright, then," Ryooko hands her the camera, then reaches for her tunic, hauling it up and over her shoulders.  
  
Nabiki's jaw drops in shock. "Oi, what're you...?"  
  
Ryooko casts the tunic aside, then allows her pants to slip off, revealing a body now clad in sports bra and plain cotton panties. Nabiki feels her voice vanish on seeing the trim form before her...no doubt, when she Crossed Over, Ryooko was able to inherit the prime level of physical fitness Ryouga possessed, then transplant that onto a female body...then she relaxes on sensing something wash over her, her whole body shivering from a storm of goosebumps covering her from head to toe.  
  
Ryooko smiles, then kneels in front of Nabiki, reaching over to stroke the other's cheek. "You're beautiful, you know that."  
  
Nabiki opens her mouth, then closes it, then opens it again. She shakes her head, then gazes deeply into Ryooko's eyes. Oh, no! Oh, Kami-sama, no! Why?! Why THIS of all things...?  
  
"Why me?" she wonders, surprised she was being THIS blunt.  
  
Ryooko hums, then smiles. "Why not you?"  
  
Nabiki blinks, then feels a light smile cross her face. "I'm scared. I...damn, this would be the...oh, shit..."  
  
"I can teach you a new meaning of 'control,' Nabiki."  
  
The middle Tendou daughter jolts, then stares resentfully at the dreamweaver before realization dawns, her eyes drooping with embarrassment. "Shit, forgot about your powers and all that..." she mutters, then sighs. "New rule: don't lie to an empath."  
  
"Very intelligent idea," Ryooko smiles.  
  
Silence falls as they gaze into the other's eyes, then Nabiki leans over to gently kiss Ryooko. A hand arcs around to draw Nabiki closer as their mouths part, their tongues darting in to play with the other. A moment later, they break away, chests heaving as their eyes burn with a warming passion. "Ryou-chan?"  
  
"Hai, Nabiki-chan, what is it?"  
  
"Can I..." Nabiki feels her throat dry up, then she takes a gulp to get new moisture into her mouth. "Take nudes of you?"  
  
Ryooko hums, then smiles. "When you do, Nabiki-chan...will you be naked as well? It's only fair, you know."  
  
Nabiki gulps, then smiles. "Lucky thing I'm taking them just for myself," she whispers as they slide in for another kiss...  
  
* * *  
  
"Hai, Ono Sekkotsu-in (Ono Chiropractic Clinic), Ono desu."  
  
"Konban wa (Good evening), Toofuu-sensei. Tendou Kikuko desu (This is Kikuko Tendou). Ne, are you busy tonight?"  
  
Toofuu blinks, then hums. "No, not really. Why?"  
  
"How'd you like to go on a date with Kasumi-neesan?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"K-k-k-kasumi...?" Toofuu stammers, his glasses fogging up.  
  
"Toofuu-sensei, I don't think Elder Ryooko'd be in a mood to chaperon you two," Kikuko gently scolds.  
  
The doctor jolts, stammering, then he feels a surge of steely resolve firm his spine. "I...w-well, I s-see," he hisses, wishing he didn't sound like a total idiot. "I...n-no, I'm not busy."  
  
"Soo desu ka. Yokatta (Wonderful)! I'll have Kasumi-neesan come down to see you around eight, alright?"  
  
"I...um...s-sure!" Toofuu stammers.  
  
"Control, Sensei!!"  
  
"Er...h-h-hai!"  
  
"Ja mata."  
  
Click. Dial tone. Toofuu hangs up the phone, then screams out with delight as he lunges over, grabbing Betty from her rack, then swirling around his office in a stumbling ballroom waltz...  
  
* * *  
  
Later...  
  
"Oi."  
  
Akane moans, then her eyes flutter as she gazes on a pair of smiling faces staring at her, soft candles providing illumination. The candles were vanilla-scented; the smell was something both Ranma and Ukyou had taken a liking to. "Oi, sleepy-head, feeling a little better?" the latter reaches over to gently part the raven bangs away from Akane's eyes, then leans down to kiss her cheek.  
  
"A little..." Akane shifts her arms so she could draw them close, then turns to peck Ranma, then Ukyou, on the forehead before turning back to the ceiling. "You know, don't you?"  
  
"Just the...empathic feelings we've sensed from you and your family, A-chan. Nothing very specific," Ukyou sighs as they shift around to get more comfortable. "Ran-chan told you that we don't do telepathic probes of people unless we feel it's absolutely necessary...and that's the truth. We..." she pauses.  
  
"We want to know what happened...but we won't press you into telling us until you feel comfortable and ready...and you WANT to tell us," Ranma finishes, gently grasping Akane's hand. "I can only guess...how horrible it was for you. U-chan and I've...well, we've never been...raped before, but we have a good idea of the feelings you endured all those years ago."  
  
"How could you feel like I did, Ranma?"  
  
"How did you feel then, A-chan?" Ukyou probes.  
  
Akane blinks, then a powerful sting rips through her eyes as tears spill down her cheeks. "Oh, gods..." she whispers hoarsely as images still too fresh for her liking roar past her mind's eye. "So...like I wasn't human to them!" she softly yammers. "I felt so unclean, so...like dirt! So dirty, so...dirty...!" she spits out, then shudders as hands reach up to brush away her tears, fresh ones soaking her cheeks anew. "I tried to...I tried to fight them. There were two of them, you see...about our age now, maybe a little older..." she takes a deep breath. "And me...I was just a little girl...I...I just couldn't understand it...then..." she grinds her teeth together before blurting out, "...this...PAIN just ripped through me between my legs...it...there...just..."  
  
A soft, wailing moan, like the cry of a banshee from Irish myth, escapes her as she draws her hands to her eyes, grinding them into the sockets in some futile attempt at damming her tears, then she drops her hands away. "Both of them...they were laughing and smirking and...I was just meat to them!" she hisses, her eyes blazing. "They had no care...and then...when it was all over...they just zipped up their pants and walked away, just LEFT me there..." a hollow breath escapes her. "No words, just...left!! Just...they...just left..." new fatigue takes hold of her as she draws the blankets closer to her.  
  
Ranma and Ukyou gaze on her, then sit up. "Did they ever find either of these sub-creatures?" the latter wonders.  
  
"No..." Akane barely shakes her head, then she sighs. "I...I told Toofuu-sensei what happened...and the police, of course. I didn't want to tell my family...I felt so ashamed..." she wipes her eyes, then reaches down for their hands. "But Toofuu-sensei told Dad and the others...oh, gods, it just..."  
  
"It hurt them almost as much as it hurt you," Ranma finishes.  
  
"Yeah. And...here we are, four years later...I...we've become strangers in our own house, Ranma. My father, my sisters and I..." a strange, pleased look crosses her face, then she stares at the chestnut-haired woman. "Then you came, Ranma...and you followed her, U-chan..." she turns to the chocolate-haired chef, "...and in one beautiful week...I realized I wasn't alone anymore..."  
  
"You'll never be alone, A-chan," Ukyou assures her.  
  
"I know..." Akane nods. "And I know you'd rather die than go back on that...and I know...hell, I know above all others how much Fate can be a real bitch at times...I know I'll grow old with you. I'll look both ways...and there you'll be. And...now I ask myself this: 'What did I do to deserve this?!'" she closes her eyes.  
  
"Fate's a fickle thing at times, A-chan," Ukyou hums. "There are times...especially after losing my family...that I've wondered why I just didn't...seek out a fight against some creature...just to go out in a blaze of glory, then meet my mother, my co-parent, my sisters in the Cosmic Chain of Life..." she wipes her eyes.  
  
"Why didn't you?" Akane wonders.  
  
"Well...unlike here, committing suicide's frowned on BIG time in the Mother Ocean," Ukyou smirks. "But as I moved from...planet to planet...I sensed the minds and feelings of the natives of each would I made landfall on...and in so many cases, they...they were hurting in their own way as much as I was hurting in mine. And they still went on. Lived their lives, got past whatever pain pressed down on their hearts...and it was so beautiful to watch and feel in my own heart...and it gave me the strength to press on."  
  
"Sorta the same with me," Ranma adds. "Like I said once...my 'school' wasn't even a real school; just six of us. Me, my mom and co-parent, my sister, Kiku-chan and her mom...Kiku-chan and her mom lost their school sometime before meetin' us...and then...one day we bumped into this...dimension-hopping creep who was chasin' some wandering warrior who was always tryin' to do the right thing...and before Kiku-chan and I knew what was goin' on, Mom and the others went off...they got that thing, but..." her voice trails off, then she exhales. "It was the same for us, even after meetin' Ko-chan. Then we came into this solar system...and that's when I heard my other-self's death-cry through the Cosmic Chain of Life..."  
  
"And you Crossed Over," Akane finishes.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma nods. "You know...you could ask any Wanderer this...there were loads of places where Kiku-chan and I could've stopped, sought out a new life there...but...places just didn't chime with either of us until we came here. Maybe...that's the Mother's way of telling us to...never forget the duty we have and seek those...who really need our type of help. Isn't that funny?"  
  
"I'm glad," Akane contently smiles.  
  
Silence falls, then Ukyou gently squeezes Akane's hand. "Oi, you want to go somewhere where you can relax, A-chan?"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Somewhere you once visited with your mom," Ranma muses, then rises. "C'mon. I think it's time you said good-bye to her."  
  
Akane blinks, then shudders. "But..."  
  
"When you were visiting places like the park...in effect, you were saying a final good-bye to your mother, A-chan," Ranma smiles, eliciting a pair of surprised blinks from both Akane and Ukyou. "Then when you were violated so, you stopped. Now it's time to finish that process...and let your grief go. C'mon..."  
  
Akane blinks, then nods, rising...  
  
* * *  
  
Minutes later, three young women step out of the guest house, heading to the front gate and out. Watching them from the window of her room, Nabiki, now clad in her nightshirt, feels a smile cross her face. By the looks of her, Akane had a good long cry before setting out with Ranma and Ukyou. She didn't know what was going to happen next, but Nabiki prayed to the kami to give her sister the strength to get through it without being hurt more.  
  
Kami-sama and the Mother only know, she'd been hurt enough.  
  
Nabiki jolts, her eyes widening.  
  
What the...?  
  
What had made her suddenly call on the Mother Ocean of all the deities in the Universe to protect her own sister...?  
  
A hand falls on her shoulder. She turns, then leans into Ryooko's embrace. "Are you alright?" the dreamweaver wonders.  
  
"You're corrupting me, Ryou-chan," Nabiki warns.  
  
"It's alright. I too pray to the Mother to give your sister the chance to overcome what happened to her years ago."  
  
"Can you tell what's going on now?"  
  
"No," Ryooko shakes her head. "Even with my position in the Great School, it's not in any way proper for me to pry into what goes on between your sister and her chosen ones, Nabiki-chan. If they have problems, Ranma and Ukyou know when to come to me."  
  
"I hope so," Nabiki sighs, beckoning Ryooko back to bed...  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, Akane-chan, there you are!!"  
  
Akane turns to watch three women approach, their pained gait indicative of healing limbs. "Akemi?! Kyooko?! Yagami?! What are you three doing...WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!!" she exclaims on seeing their bandaged wrists and ankles.  
  
"Looks like you three got into a bit of a fight there," Ukyou whistles, crossing her arms. "Or was it too much practicing?!"  
  
"Well..." Akemi shudders, then sighs. "Gomen ne, Akane-chan, Ranma-san, Ukyou-san. As...you can see..." she holds up a wrist to show the splints and bandages there, "...none of us are in any sort of shape to take on St. Hebereke next week so..."  
  
"We hoped you could..." Kyooko flusters.  
  
"Take your place?" Ranma finishes.  
  
The three gymnasts jolt, then readily nod. Akane sighs, glancing at Ranma. The chestnut-haired woman crosses her arms, then returns Akane's stare before shrugging. "Well, we'd like to help you girls out, but Akane here has...somewhere to go tonight. Could we meet tomorrow at the school about this?"  
  
"I'll do it if you want," Akane adds.  
  
Akemi, Kyooko and Yagami exchange looks, then nod, their own growing curiosity burning deep in their eyes. "Alright, that sounds fair enough. We'll get together before the bell, okay?" the team captain nods, holding up a finger in understanding.  
  
"Fair enough," Ranma smiles.  
  
They head off. Akane watches them go, then turns quizzically to Ranma. "Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Something's bothering them," Ranma's eyes narrow. "Something really awful if what I sensed from Akemi is true..."  
  
"Dangerous?" Akane wonders.  
  
"No, they seem over it now, but it'll haunt them for some time to come," Ukyou muses. "C'mon, Ran-chan, A-chan, we'll worry about them tomorrow when we're at school."  
  
"Ah...o-okay," Akane nods...  
  
* * *  
  
"Konban wa, Toofuu-sensei."  
  
Toofuu jolts, then shudders, his glasses fogging up as he gazes excitedly at Kasumi, both now standing in the reception lounge of his clinic. "Wh-why, Kasumi, h-how are you tonight?"  
  
"I'm quite fine, thank you," Kasumi smiles. "Ikumashou (Shall we go)?" she indicates the door.  
  
"Um...y-yes, of course..."  
  
"Toofuu-sensei, why are you carrying Betty-san with you?"  
  
The chiropractor jolts, then looks down to see the skeleton he keeps in his clinic tucked under one arm. "Now how on Earth did you get there, Betty?" he places Betty back on her rack, then turns to Kasumi. "Such a silly girl. Always sticking her nose into whatever I'm doing. I never get any sort of peace from her."  
  
"I...see," her eyebrow arches. "Well, we should go, Sensei."  
  
"Ah...um...a-alright," he nods, following her out.  
  
Kasumi is quick to close and lock the clinic down as Toofuu suddenly strikes up a conversation with a bonsai tree. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she tries not to laugh at his antics. Days ago, Ryooko Hibiki warned the elder Tendou daughter Toofuu's "love madness" stemmed partially from his inexperience in courting potential life-mates...and partially from the man's mother and her pressing him to find a decent life-mate so she could have grandchildren. Tack those outside pressures onto his intensive medical training (which naturally demanded iron control over his emotions, especially when it came to purposefully-induced wounds), mix in with a powerful sense of right and wrong (one of the good things his mother instilled in him), spice in Kasumi's wholesome beauty and you produce a man wanting things to go right yet inwardly terrified that one slip up would shatter all his hopes.  
  
Kasumi nudges Toofuu away from the bonsai tree, then directs him towards the restaurant district. "So how is Shibotsu-san tonight?" she wonders; "Mrs. Shibotsu" was the bonsai tree.  
  
"Oh, just fine but feeling some arthritis in her joints. I recommended she take a long soak in a furo, then come see me in the morning," the chiropractor responds honestly.  
  
"Soo ka..."  
  
* * *  
  
Kikuko watches them go, perched on a nearby rooftop, then she leaps down to ground level, smiling delightedly. Even though the focus of Toofuu's attention was drifting in and out of his control thanks to Kasumi's presence, he was certainly much better than when Kikuko had first met the chiropractor. Well, one had to build one's immunity gradually when it came to matters like this. A gentle prod here and there would help them both tremendously...  
  
Eh?!  
  
"RANKO SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!!!!"  
  
Kikuko yelps, dodging right as chained grappling hooks smash into the pavement, then spins around to see who was leaping at her. "Mousse!" she exclaims, tensing herself. "Wrong Saotome!!"  
  
Mousse recovers, then adjusts his glasses before focusing on Kikuko's eyes before relaxing herself. "Oh, Kikuko Saotome, it's you! Where is that tramp you call a sister?!"  
  
Kikuko's her eyes narrow. "I believe she is now with my *sister-in-law* in their *marriage* bed, taking wonderful delight in the other's *passionate* company, Mousse-san. Can't you finally accept what has happened and leave them be?"  
  
The weapons master jolts, then his eyes burn with rage as Kikuko's message sinks home. "THAT ALIEN WHORE **DARES** TO DEFLOWER **MY** SHAMPOO?!?!?! RANKO SAOTOME, PRE-...!!!"  
  
The tip of a wooden cane taps him in the back of his head, sending him down for the count. Kikuko jolts, then her eyes widen with delight on seeing who now stood nearby. "Kun-lon-san!!"  
  
"Hello, child, how are you," Cologne smiles as Kikuko walks over to embrace her, then turns to gaze on Mousse, shaking her head. "I assume he has been something of a pain to you all."  
  
"Mostly to Ranko-neesan and Xian-san, Elder," Kikuko shakes her head, then turns to see who had accompanied the Nyu-che-zuu matriarch. "Elder Lo-e!!" she stiffens, covering her mouth, then moves to apologize. "Sumimasen..."  
  
"Please, Kikuko, don't apologize for my grand-nephew's actions against your sister and sister-in-law," Aloe clicks her tongue, then stares at the sleeping Mousse, the disappointment flashing in her eyes quite profound. "We've obtained some lodgings close by for the next several nights, though Kun-lon has stated her intention of remaining in this country for the indeterminable future. If you could come with us, we'll...deal with Mu-tzu now."  
  
"Should I summon Onee-san and Xian-san?"  
  
"Do so. They will have to attend," Cologne gravely nods.  
  
"Hai, Elder, right away..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Something is happening."  
  
"Eh?!" a drowsy Nabiki opens her eyes, then stares up at Ryooko, both now in the former's bed, blankets and covers strewn over them. "Is there something wrong there, Ryou-chan?"  
  
The dreamweaver sits up, her eyes glowing. "Kikuko is sending a message out to Ranko...eh?!" her eyebrows arch, then the eyes stop glowing. "Well, isn't that interesting?!"  
  
"What is?" Nabiki sits up.  
  
"Xian-pu's great-grandmother and Mu-tzu's grand-aunt have come to visit. It appears our rogue weapons master is about to pay the price for his reckless pursuit of Ranko's life-mate. Get dressed, 'Biki; we should be in attendance."  
  
"I...ah...alright!" Nabiki nods, rising to dress...  
  
* * *  
  
"How did you know...?"  
  
Akane stares misty-eyed at Ranma and Ukyou, the three now standing at the entrance to one of the small playgrounds dotting Nerima. "Well..." Ranma hums, then shrugs. "Kiku-chan asked Kasumi about it and she told her that this was one of the places you liked to go to with your mother...oh, good!"  
  
"Eh?!" Akane blinks.  
  
Ranma walks her over to a set of swings, Ukyou falling in behind Akane. The latter, suddenly taking note of where her lovers wanted her to go, stops, staring at the empty seat as a chill rips through her body. Ranma and Ukyou pause, concern flashing in their eyes. Did they push this too fast? Reveal that they knew Akane's darkest secret, then plunged into trying to help her without giving Akane a chance to fully comprehend what is happening? What...?  
  
Akane blinks, then hesitantly approaches one of the swings, turning haltingly around before allowing herself to sink onto the wooden seat. Her hands slip around the chains holding the seat up, gripping them tightly as she draws them close to her. Ranma and Ukyou remain in place, then both shift to stand behind Akane. Silence falls over the scene as the Nendo-kata await a sign, any sign, from Akane as to what next to do. Finally, Akane turns her head to the darkening sky, her feet being tucked in under the seat.  
  
"P-..."  
  
Ranma and Ukyou reach for Akane's shoulder, then stop as they see her tense up suddenly, her head drooping.  
  
"K-...kaa-san..."  
  
Tears. Ranma takes a deep breath, then kneels beside Akane. "She's here, A-chan. She's here..."  
  
"No, she's not, Ranm-...Ran-chan...she's gone..."  
  
"Do you still remember her?" Ukyou wonders.  
  
"H-hai..."  
  
Both rise, then place their hands just under Akane's shoulder blades, gently pushing forward. Akane gasps suddenly as that warm feeling surges through her heart, then as she slides out of their reach, cries out delightedly as her body tilts to better flow with the swing's movement. Back she goes where now FOUR hands catch her, then push her away again. The cry becomes a child's laugh as Akane's aches and pains suddenly vanish in the magic of the moment. For an instant, she is twelve again, enjoying the warm company of someone who loves her and whom she loves in return. Back she goes, then she smiles on feeling those hands touch her, slow her falling movement, then shove her forward again.  
  
"More!!" she cries out. "Harder! Push me harder!!"  
  
"Hai!!" two women respond as Akane reaches the apex of her swing, then falls back to warm, waiting hands.  
  
Out she goes again.  
  
Back she comes again.  
  
Out.  
  
Back.  
  
Tears mark her passage as she allows her mind, her heart to drift away from all of today's problems.  
  
Out. Back.  
  
Back to a time when things were simple, when the soft touch of a loved one, one Akane trusted to the very depths of her soul, could chase even the most pressing problem away.  
  
Out. Back.  
  
Just the wind, the swing and the hands.  
  
Four hands...  
  
She leans back, then sees the two women waiting to push her again, then laughs as they do so. "Harder, Ran-chan, U-chan! Harder!!" she calls out as she swings out again.  
  
"Not too hard, A-chan!" Ukyou smiles. "You don't wanna fall off and skin your knees there!!"  
  
"I'm okay!!"  
  
Ranma and Ukyou continue to push, all of them laughing...  
  
* * *  
  
"'Zusa, are you alright?"  
  
"Eh?!" Azusa jolts, then turns her head towards the nearby park, a spoonful of ice cream halfway between her banana split and her mouth. "Oh, gomen, 'Dachi. I was just sensing...I think it might be Ukyou-san and one of the Saotome sisters in the park."  
  
Kodachi jolts, then hums. "If my brother's rantings have any truth in them, Ukyou-san is trying to form a relationship with both Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendou...oh, sumimasen, Tsu-chan..."  
  
"Genki ne (It's alright), 'Dachi," Tsubasa smiles, then sips her milkshake. "Strange, though..."  
  
"What is?" the gymnast wonders.  
  
"By the way she feels, Akane-san...seems to have been through some of the same trials and tribulations you have."  
  
Kodachi blinks, then turns to her tea. "You mean...?"  
  
"It feels like it...but it would be pretty rude to walk up to her and ask if she was...well, you know," Azusa frowns.  
  
"True," Kodachi nods, sipping her tea...  
  
* * *  
  
"A-chan, you okay?"  
  
Akane hums, leaning back in the swing, her arms interlaced in the chain to prevent her from falling off, then she looks up into Ukyou's concerned eyes. "Hmmm...what is it, U-chan?"  
  
"How do you feel?" the chef wonders.  
  
Akane takes a deep breath, then a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. "It can't go away all at once..."  
  
"No, not after what you've been through," Ukyou shakes her head, reaching up to gently play with some of Akane's raven hair. "It'll happen, but it'll take time, A-chan. It'll take time..."  
  
"Ice cream, anyone?"  
  
Akane and Ukyou watch as two triple scoop cones gently drift into their hands, Ranma walking up behind them as she slurps up her own cone. "Arigatou," Akane takes the cone for her, then licks the ball of frozen milk and sugar before taking a wary glance around the park. "Did anyone see you...?"  
  
"No, no one in real close range...except for two of the Great School in a bistro off yonder," Ranma nods to her right.  
  
"Yeah, I felt them, too," Ukyou hums. "Tsubasa's one of them, but I don't recognize the other. Want to go over?"  
  
"Nah, they're busy with whoever's with them. It'd be pretty rude. Besides, that girl with them kinda reminds me of Kunou even if she is a girl..." Ranma shakes her head, licking her cone.  
  
"That's probably Kodachi Kunou, his younger sister," Ukyou muses. "She goes to St. Hebereke Jougakuen (St. Hebereke Girl's High School). Matsuri-chan told me that Tsubasa's working there now as an assistant physical education coach."  
  
"Soo ka..." Akane smiles, then closes her eyes. "Arigatou."  
  
"Do you want to come here again?" Ranma wonders.  
  
"Un," Akane nods, then hums. "Maybe we should get a swing set up in the yard behind the guest house. One big enough for all three of us to sit in together, ne...?"  
  
"Oi, that's not a bad idea," Ukyou smirks, lapping up her ice cream. "Anyone for a little shopping in the Ginza?" she nods towards one of the park gates, smiling invitingly.  
  
"Why not?! Let's go!" Ranma reaches down for Akane's hand...  
  
* * *  
  
Minutes later, they enter the local Ginza, finishing their ice cream cones as they window-shop. Thanks to years on the road, Ranma and Ukyou had utterly NO idea about what one did window-shopping, so for once, Akane becomes their sensei as they browse through what is being offered at the various stores.  
  
"These are very beautiful," Ranma gazes at the diamond earrings on display at one shop. "This pair reminds me of twin white dwarf stars in this one solar system Kiku-chan and I passed through right before we met Ko-chan."  
  
Akane is quick to notice the reverence in Ranma's eyes. "That must've been a beautiful sight, especially seeing it in space. Sorta like the way the Hubble Telescope can see things."  
  
Ranma nods. "Unn."  
  
"Premonition of good luck, Ran-chan?" Ukyou wonders.  
  
"Definitely was."  
  
"'Good luck?'" Akane wonders.  
  
"Most wanderers believe that if you pass through a solar system that has either a white dwarf or neutron star in its heart, it's a very good omen," the chef explains. "Remember, white dwarf and neutron stars are very old, close to the ends of their natural lifespans. You treat them with GREAT respect, A-chan."  
  
"Er...r-right," Akane blinks, then smiles. "Ne, Ran-chan, do you want them?" she points to the earrings.  
  
Ranma blinks, then hums. "Well..."  
  
"There's free piercing here if you want it, Ran-chan," Ukyou advises, pointing to a sign indicating such nearby.  
  
"I...um, well, I don't see the harm in it...but jeez, these are somewhat expensive..." Ranma stammers, then blinks, her empathic powers picking up something from nearby. "Chotto (Wait a moment)..." she moves off towards an alley.  
  
"Ran-chan, nan de (what are)...oi, matte (hey, wait)!!" Akane calls out as she and Ukyou race off after their lover.  
  
Slipping through the crowd easily, Ranma walks into the alley, then stops, her eyes glowing briefly as she does a telepathic scan. Six people ahead of her, five male, one female...and a familiar one at that! "Yuka-san, are you in here?!" she calls out.  
  
Surprise and agitation echo from the males as Yuka Sudou turns to the alley entrance, glad to see a familiar face. "Ranma-san!" she calls out, moving over to stand beside her friend.  
  
Ranma quickly senses the gang moving to stop her. "Oi, oi, where do you think you're going...?" one demands...  
  
...before a VERY big spatula rams his face into the ground. "She's joining her friends, jackass!!!" Ukyou snarls as she and Akane dive in on the others, fists and weapons at the ready.  
  
Ranma propels herself past Yuka as she joins in. With the element of surprise, not to mention their superior training and the Nendo-kata abilities Ranma and Ukyou had as their birthright, the battle...if it could be called THAT!...is brutally swift and a foregone conclusion. Yuka ducks away from the sounds of flesh smashing into flesh and bones impacting on brick, concrete or asphalt, then hesitantly looks back to see her three classmates standing triumphant over a heap of broken bodies.  
  
"Well, that was an interesting few minutes' diversion," Ranma muses, looking well refreshed, then cries out in surprise as she is swamped by Yuka's embrace. "Whhhoulllf!!!"  
  
"Oh, Ranma-san, Ukyou-san, Akane-chan, arigatou, arigatou!!!" Yuka wails, burying her head into Ranma's shoulder.  
  
Ranma shudders, then smiles as she returns Yuka's hug, Ukyou and Akane walking up to add their embraces. "It's okay, Yuka-chan. It's okay...are you okay? They didn't hurt you...?" Ranma asks.  
  
Yuka stares into Ranma's sapphire eyes, then shakes her head. "Oh, iie, I'm alright. C'mon, let's get outta here," she beckons them from the alley, feeling her courage and internal wa (harmony) return now that she was shielded by three such good fighters.  
  
"Alright, if you say so," Ranma smirks, then pauses, glancing down at the unconscious thugs. "Chotto..."  
  
"What is it, Ran-chan?" Akane wonders.  
  
Ranma hums, then tells them what she has in mind. The others hum, then Ukyou smirks, Akane and Yuka nodding approvingly.  
  
"Ranma Saotome, you...are...EVIL!!"  
  
The others laugh...  
  
* * *  
  
An hour later, Ranma steps out of the jewellery store, her now pierced ears displaying a pair of sparkling diamond studs. Ukyou, who also got her ears pierced, picked up a pair of silver studs each topped with a single amethyst gem. Yuka and Akane also sport new earrings. "Kami-sama, I can't believe those dorks had THAT much cash on them!" Akane sighs, tightly gripping Ranma's hand.  
  
"Well, we could put it to much better use than they...eh?!" Ranma tenses as a shriek echoes out of a nearby alley.  
  
The girls turn to see a half-dozen nearly naked young men race out of the alley, they being chased by an okofuro welding a massive broom, she spitting a ton of degrading curses on them. Nearby gawkers pause as the stampede races past them, then taking a moment to mentally digest what they just saw, indulge themselves in a litany of comments about what they just witnessed.  
  
Unnoticed by them, four high school students head home...  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued... 


End file.
